


Monokuma’s Not Potentially Fatal, Absolutely Harmless Quests!

by SarIIon



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: F/F, F/M, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Multi, One Shot Collection, Rated for dark themes, Romantic or platonic, Spoilers, all relationships can be read as, headcanons, rated for dirty jokes, rated for possible triggers, some unreliable narration
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-07-05
Packaged: 2020-03-05 17:22:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 53,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18833254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarIIon/pseuds/SarIIon
Summary: ((A Collection of One-Shots)) || Rated for Dark themes + Triggers (Warnings b4 each chapter)“Ya know, killing’s fun and all, but motive videos are totally overdone! Where’s the fun in that? Where’s the despair of being so predictable?!” Monokuma locks 2 random students in a room and gives them a Quest to fulfill. Little does he realize...instead of creating despair...he's bringing the students closer together.From spilling secrets to sharing a bed to getting wasted, antics ensue as the Ultimates build relationships and get into some awkward situations.





	1. Introduction

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [And There Was Only One Bed One-Shots](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17041409) by [writermouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/writermouse/pseuds/writermouse). 



“So, I turned it over in my head and came up with Monokuma’s fabulous Quest system!” The two-toned bear spread his plush arms as if presenting something amazing. “It’s simple really, you don’t even need to be a super advanced AI—like moi—to understand! This state of the art randomizer will spit out a Quest, and then two students will be chosen to fulfill it! Everyone will be randomly paired off, and each pair will be assigned a quest!”

Pulling a few slips of paper out of the machine, he cleared his throat. “Here are some sample quests because I know you cubs are perking your ears with curiosity!~ Hmm let’s see… “Sleep in the same bed for a night,” oooh saucy~~~  “Reveal your deepest darkest secret” niiiccceee, a classic!~~~ “Cook dinner together…” Wait what? What the hell is that cheesy quest?!

“I wrote some lovely, friendship-building quests and added them to the system!” Monomi cheerily smiled, her pink and white face popping up from below the stage. “Everyone, let’s get along and become friends!”

“I…I can’t remove them from the machine! What did you do?!” Monokuma snarled after tinkering with the interface, whipping around to kick Monomi to the ground. “Little dumb sisters should stay where they belong, beneath my feet!”

“Ow! That hurts!” The rabbit shrieked as she hit the floor with a soft thud.

“Shaddup! I’ll deal with you later!” He hissed in her direction. “Anyways…it doesn’t change much…I’ll just add some more entertaining, despair inducing prompts to balance it out. The system still works the same way."

"Once you wake up, you and your partner will be locked in a room suitable to your quest, with all the items you need! Fulfill the quest! That’s the only rule!”

His grin seemed to stretch wider. "Of course…any naughty boy or girl who violates the rule won't get off with just a little swat on the butt… You see those bracelets on your wrists? Fail to fulfill the quest and these fashionable accessories will deliver a fatal electric shock strong enough to fry your brain and stop your heart. No CPR can save you from permanent brain damage!” The bear cackled maniacally.

“That’s way too harsh!” Monomi protested from her place on the ground

Monokuma didn’t spare her a pause before carrying on. “And before any of ya try and get tricky with me, tamper with your bracelet and you’ll get insta-shocked! They don’t come off until you fulfill your quest! Same with trying to escape the rooms which are sound proofed and locked tight!”

“Hey, no applause? Tough crowd…oh well!~” He spun around, clapping his paws as sleeping gas filled the room “You’ll know your quests when you wake up! No use complaining!”

“Do it or Die! Puhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhuhu!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -100% Inspired by nicolai’s “And There Was Only One Bed” fic (go read it, it’s amazing), I fucking love fluff okay? So like, this idea also makes unlikely pairings/rivals interact and work together…and ahhhh, there are so many friendships/interactions I wished happened in the games but didn’t really. I already have a ton of ideas, and I’m so excited haha <3  
> -WOW I made this sound awful and edgy but honestly, I’m probably just going to write a lot of fluff, angsty fluff, and more fluff 
> 
> \--Yep, yep, This fic is open for prompt suggestions (both Quest ideas + Pairing suggestions!) ((Drop them in the comments below or shoot me a message :))  
> -PAIRINGS: Any characters from Trigger Happy Havoc, SDR2, the Hope+Despair anime arcs, and Killing Harmony are valid! I’ve watched them all~~ Pairings can be pairs you ship, enemies, rivals, etc.  
> -QUESTS: If you have any ideas you’d really like to see written, go for it! The worst I can do is not write it if it doesn’t inspire me <3 >>> I’m not going to write any non-con/super explicit stuff for this fic, but things like alcohol, hugging, and kissing are totally game!


	2. Nagito + Ibuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Survive the Night.”  
> “Students: Nagito Komaeda, Ibuki Mioda.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Attempted Suicide, Migraines, Vomiting

 

       Nagito groaned softly, feeling the dull throb of an incoming headache as soon as he sat up. “Where—” He trailed off, spotting the metal bracelet on his wrist which brought back a rush of memories of the night before _. Monokuma’s Quest game…We must be in one now._ Revolving words moved across the thin digital display of the bracelet catching his attention.

       “Quest: Survive the Night.”

       “Students: Nagito Komaeda, Ibuki Mioda.”

 _Survive the night?_ He glanced around the room, slowly taking in the lofted ceiling and desk and dresser and bed of what looked to be a child’s bedroom. For a moment he tensed, listening for the sounds of gas or machines or danger, but upon hearing none he allowed himself to relax _. Survive…did that mean against outside forces or against Ibuki?_

       “Nagito!” A cheery voice shook him from his thoughts as the student in question stepped out of the bathroom, waving excitedly as if he was on the other side of a large crowd instead of a couple of feet away. “You’re awake! Finally! Ibuki was so bored waiting that I took a shower!”

       The Ultimate Musician had changed out of her usual colorful outfit into a large, baggy t-shirt emblazoned with a neon yellow smiley face. The towel over her shoulders protected the pajama top from the residual dampness of freshly washed hair which had been released from its horned hairstyle to cascade over her back. “I’m not sure how he did it, but my pajamas were stacked in the closet like they were waiting for me! Maybe they were possessed!”

       “Did you read the information?” He held up his wrist, indicating the bracelet’s digital display.

       “Oh?” Ibuki leaned forward to read the words “No way! Are we gonna be fighting zombies?!”

        “I don’t think so,” he shook his head slowly. The room was quiet and peaceful; he didn’t see any signs of weapons they could use, or any doors for enemies to enter from. “I believe it means we just need to get along for a night in this room.”

       “Well, that’s a lot less fun” Ibuki sighed, dramatically pressing the back of her hand against her forehead before plopping down to sit next to him on the rug.

       This “quest” Monokuma created…it was harmless enough with Ibuki and him…but something told him that for other Ultimates, it could be far more dangerous. There was no rule against injuring or even killing the other student after all…just thinking about it sent a wave of goosebumps running up his back. _The hope which would be born from that difficulty…beautiful._

       Nevertheless, he couldn’t help but feel relieved at the assignment as he brought a hand to the back of his neck to ground himself against a wave of dizziness. His body had been rebelling against him all day and he wasn’t sure if the sleeping gas had made it worse, but he was in no shape for any physical quests.  

       A sudden sharp pain in his arm snapped him back to the present, and he looked toward the source of the sting to see that Ibuki had chomped down on his forearm in her signature greeting.

       “Are you worried? If anything comes at us, the great Ibuki will take it down! Undead or not!” She cheerfully punched the air, “I’ve got your back!...But not literally, because humans can’t live without their spines!”

       Usually the light bites didn’t bother him at all—in fact, they made him happy that she would greet him so familiarly—but today… Today the pain shot upward, exacerbating the dull throb behind his eyes.

_The luck cycle…this must be the bad luck balance to receiving an easy quest…_

       Instead of a headache, he had the growing suspicion that a migraine was coming on. The theory confirmed itself as a wave of nausea hit him, sending black spots dancing across his vision. Standing up made the sick feeling worse, but he did so anyways, stumbling toward the bathroom as another wave roiled over him. Gagging against the rising bile, he did his best to shut the bathroom door.

       Then he was leaning over the toilet, retching. A dull ringing flashed through his head as his vision blurred and colors morphed together, melting into one another. Through the nausea, he felt something touch his face, followed by a light pressure on the back of his head. Briefly he wondered if someone else had entered the room before another rush of sickness hit him and he was emptying the contents of his stomach into the bowl.

       After he had nothing left to throw up, he leaned against the cold porcelain, chest heaving for air, body wracked with tremors. Slowly, Nagito recovered enough to catch his breath and narrow his eyes against the pounding throb in his head which only seemed to worsen by the minute.

       “Does Nagito feel alright?” Ibuki’s fuchsia eyes curiously peered into his, and he blinked, suddenly aware of her hand in his hair holding a fistful of white locks away from his face.

       “You know, I’ve always wanted to do this for someone. It’s so sweet when it happens in chick flicks after everyone gets waaaasted!” She paused, staring at him intently “…Are you drunk?”

_How long had she been there? He looked like a mess. It must have been unpleasant for her to hold his hair back for so long. To be this close to him._

       “No Ibuki,” He groaned softly, pushing her hand away before leaning against the wooden boards of the bathroom wall. “There’s no need to worry about scum like me. It’s just a normal migraine…just a normal migraine...though…I could make it worse…”

       The epiphany brought blood rushing up to his face as he grinned and perked up slightly with excitement. “Ibuki, if I died here…in this room…do you think that would cause hope to grow inside of everyone?” He was a little sad he wouldn’t be able to watch glowing determination fill the eyes of the Ultimates as they worked together to remove the bracelets and outsmart Monokuma…but his hesitation only lasted a moment before the overwhelming pull of that beautiful hope drew him in. “See…if they realize the danger is genuine, and someone else could die…I’m sure they would feel the motivation to work together and overcome the symbol of despair!”

       “…How can you smile after suggesting something like that, you creep!”

       “Don’t worry Ibuki, you’ll survive this quest and be able to join the others! I was carefully analyzing Monokuma’s quest system and there is no rule which states both students have to live. The only rule is to complete the quest! And if you survive the night, Ibuki, you’ll have beaten the quest! Your bracelet should come off without a problem. The quest isn’t “Make sure you *both* survive until dawn” after all!”

       “Nagito…your creepiness is so high right now, you could sell tickets to see it.” Ibuki bit her lip before turning around and dashing out of the bathroom. “That’s not a good thing! Don’t worry, Ibuki will be right back!”

 

       He groaned as the throbbing pain grew in intensity, pressure pushing against the inside of his skull like a metal knife. Shrugging off his jacket, he glanced around the room. _Perfect_. The metal frame of the shower doorway was much taller than that of an average door, and it looked sturdy enough not to collapse under his weight. The stool next to the sink…all he had to do was position it below the metal beam, then it would make the ideal stepping stool. And if he tied the sleeves of his jacket tightly over the top of the doorframe, it would serve as a makeshift noose.

       Clutching his head, he gritted his teeth against the pain and stood up on shaky legs. He could hear rummaging sounds from the bedroom as Ibuki searched for something…there wasn’t much time before she returned and inevitably tried to stop his plans, he needed to act fast.

       As soon as he turned toward the stool, the sudden movement, paired with standing up quickly, sent him reeling with light headedness. The room seemed to swim in front of his eyes, fixtures and structures dissolving to mere outlines as his vision flooded with stark white. A shrill ringing filled his ears from the inside, drowning out all sound.

_Pain…It hurt…his head hurt…bright…it was so bright…_

_It hurt...it hurt..._

 

 _Water_...He could hear the sound of running water somewhere far away.

 

       “I couldn’t find any ice, but this should work even better!”

       And then she was pulling him, fully clothed, into the shower. The shock of frigid, cold water splashed against his skin, jolting his senses. _Cold…it was cold…_

       Slowly, the ringing in his ears faded and the rushing sounds of water hitting tile grew in volume, no longer muffled. White shapes fuzzed at the edges, color gradually returning to his vision like a photo being developed from blank photo paper. Despite the initial startle, the cold water actually seemed to help with the pain in his head as well, the stabbing pressure soon reducing to a dull, light throb once more as water cascaded over his head and shoulders.

       “Thank you…”

       “Yahoooooooooooooooo!” Ibuki cheered, brushing aside the wet hair plastered to her face in order to give him a proper, ecstatic smile. “Isn’t this better than an ice pack? Cold showers are like a huge icy hug for your whole body! It’s just like life: go all the way or go home!”

       “I’m truly sorry,” Nagito frowned slightly, nudging hair out of his eyes to meet her gaze briefly “You had already showered...and now…”

       She blinked, removed her hands from his shoulders, and looked down as if realizing for the first time that she was wet at all. The soaking pajama shirt stuck to her skin as water continued to fall, bouncing off the printed smiley-face decal and dripping down her legs. The bracelets on her wrists were drenched as well—the cloth scrunchie in an especially sad and sodden state.

       “No problemo! Ibuki loves showers.” The musician grinned, shaking water off of herself like a dog after a bath before pushing open the shower door “Buuuuut, I should probably let you actually shower, huh? I’ll grab some clothes from the closet and leave them in the bathroom for you to change into when you get out!”

       “…You really are a kind person.”

       “Tahaa! I already knew that!” She winked slyly before turning toward him, dropping the playful expression, and adopting a more serious one. “Nagito...the thing you said earlier was...weird…something that weird should only happen in song lyrics…”

       “…”

       “…Please.”

       He didn’t miss the slight crack in her voice as she stepped out of the shower, closing the door gently behind her.

~.o.~

 

       “I found a game in the closet!” Ibuki excitedly shook the box of Jenga blocks in her hand as she popped back into view. “Wanna play? My mom always says it’s good to get out all your energy before bed!”

       “…Is that the only game you found?” Nagito ruffled the towel through his damp hair, gradually fluffing up the white strands.

       “What?” She blinked, cocking her head toward the closet door as if visualizing the inside shelves. “No, there’s a bunch of them in there.”

       “Do you want to choose a different one?” He slowly sat up, wrapping his jacket around his shoulders “I’m afraid playing that one with me won’t be enjoyable.”

       “But this one is my favorite!” She puffed out a cheek in a pout before plopping down on the rug across from him to set up the wooden blocks. “So let’s play it!”

       Despite the slight shake in his hands, none of the blocks he accidentally nudged tipped over the tower, and by the time he was setting up the blocks for the third game, Ibuki was silent, brow furrowed in concentration. “Ibuki…”

       "I wanna listen to songs by Ibuki's favorite artists! There's no TV or radio here, you know!? I'm starving to death from musical deprivation!"

       “But your talent  is amazing, Ibuki” Nagito tilted his head in surprise at her sudden, completely unrelated outburst. “Surely you could recreate their music.”

       “Of course I’ve memorized all of my favorite songs—Ibuki has great ears after all,” She puffed up her chest with pride before sighing and poking out another block from the pile “but…you know…playing someone else’s’ music isn’t as awesome. Their music…it’s amazing because it’s *their* true, heartfelt feelings! If I play, it’s gotta be the music of *my* heart! That’s what gives songs life!”

       “…well that’s understandable.” He picked out another block toward the bottom of the tower.

       “Oooh, Ibuki wants to sing right now” She wiggled with energy, managing to hold her breath as she inched out a block before chattering on. “Just thinking about playing guitar right now is getting my blood all hot and excited!”

 _The next block Ibuki removes…it will collapse the tower…so in this turn…I need to…_ He stretched out his hand away from the block he was reaching toward, instead, moving to a different one in the center of the tower. _This one._ _Removing this block will cause the tower to topple before my good luck kicks in._ He set his pointer finger on the block and pushed—.

       Ibuki moved forward suddenly in a flash of black and magenta. Before he could react, her hand swiped forcefully across the playing field, smashing the tower through the center.

       Wooden blocks.

       Wooden blocks tumbled through the air in a blur of honey brown.

       They clattered against each other as they fell toward the ground in graceful arcs.

       Time slowed as the pieces fainted over one another, creating abstract patterns after bouncing off the rug.

       Then the only remnant of the tower was a jumble of wood strewn haphazardly across the ground.

 

       “Whoops! Looks like Ibuki lost again!”

 

_Why…_

       He blinked, opening his mouth to voice his question. Then her hands were on his, drawing his shaky fingers to rest in his lap before she leapt up and grabbed the game’s box, a large grin on her face. “Thanks for playing with Ibuki! I’ll clean up, so get some rest! Who knows what crazy adventures we’ll go on tomorrow?!”

       “You…had fun?” He allowed himself to lean back against the side of the bed, resting heavily on its frame as the gentle clattering of wooden blocks filled the air. “…even though…”

       "Of course!” Ibuki grinned at him, her sharp canines gleaming in the lamplight. “We get along so well, I'm sure there'll be another chance to play together before too long. It's different from hanging out with my music friends, but this is way fun, too!" She waved a Jenga block in the air to emphasize her point before letting it join the others with a light clunk. “It’s a good thing I don’t have my guitar right now, I’m so happy I don’t know if I could stop myself! If this was a song title, it’d be called “I Really Wanna Sing Out With Happiness, But It’s Bed Time!”

_Clink_

_Clack_

_Clatter_

       His eyelids grew heavy watching her long hair swish around as she scooted across the rug, peering under the dresser and table to check for hidden blocks. The gentle sounds of wooden pieces falling down to join the others in the box mixed with the undulating notes of Ibuki’s voice as she continued to chatter on excitedly about songs and games and playing the guitar. Those warm noises filled his head, numbing the aching pain behind his eyes enough that his body relaxed, head falling into the soft cotton duvet trailing off the side of the bed.

       “Good night, Nagito! If the zombies show up, I’ll destroy them all, so don’t worry!” her voice sounded far away, muffled through layers of fabric.

_Warm. It felt warm._

       His eyes closed as he gently drifted off to sleep.

 

_If good luck bestowed upon him this moment…he would endure whatever bad luck asked of him with a smile on his face._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Need help visualizing the room?: <https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch2-Room-sketch-799051468>
> 
> Full versions of this Ch's Sketches: [Nagito](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch2-Nagito-Sketch-799051809) | [Ibuki](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch2-Ibuki-799051658)  
> -  
> -Got a bit carried away, but, just like all my fics, the story kinda wrote itself so I just rolled with it!
> 
> \---Ibuki 100% plays Jenga chaotically. The scene of her smashing down the Jenga tower randomly during the middle of a game, not out of rage or anger, just to have fun…idk but it was the first thing that came to mind when I decided to write an interaction between the 2 of them :D  
> \--I love some of Ibuki’s canon quotes, so I fit a couple into the piece <3
> 
> \--Tbh, I don’t get migraines, so idk how accurate my writing is, but I used the personal experience of irl injury shock (not.fun.) to write this, so hopefully it’s a little believable! Apparently cold showers can kinda act like an ice pack, never knew that before! :D


	3. Shuichi + Kokichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Light Every Candle.  
> “Time Limit: 1 hour, 15 minutes”  
> “Students: Shuichi Saihara, Kokichi Oma”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Fire Hazard, Manipulation

                “Why are there so many candelabras in this church?” Shuichi bit his lip softly with worry as he surveyed the room which they were locked in. Numerous rows of wooden pews lined the long, carpeted path up to the altar framed by brilliant, colorful stained glass window panes. The elaborate mural of vibrant glass behind the altar was only interrupted by a massive wrought iron cross, centered behind the pulpit, stretching up toward the dome. The uncovered ceiling beams supported a lofted roof which sent echoes of his footsteps sweeping through the empty space. All around the pulpit, rows upon rows of assorted candles were stacked on top of one another in a strange sea of colorful wax. Elaborate metal candleholders and candelabras lined the walls and pews, but perhaps the most worrisome detail about the room was…its lack of doors. _How did Monokuma drop them in here in the first place? How would they leave even if their bracelets came off?_

                Walking up to the altar, he frowned and picked up a lighter from the box of matches and lighters on the pulpit. Well…leaving the room would have to wait for later. Right now…he had to fulfill this quest. It was difficult to estimate how many candles exactly were on the pile…but the sheer number of small tea lights suggested more than one hundred. This was going to take a while… “I wonder where Kokichi is…” he hummed as he reached toward the first unlit candle on the mound.

                “Speak of the devil and he shall appear!” The smaller boy shrieked as he popped out from behind the pulpit causing Shuichi to startle and drop the lighter he was holding. “Nee-heehee, did I scare you?”  
                “Yeah,” Shuichi wheezed, catching his breath, before picking up the lighter and depositing it in Kokichi’s hand “You’ve read the quest right?” He pointed to the electronic words moving across the metal bracelet on his wrist and grabbed another lighter out of the box.

                “Well…actually…I can’t read…” Kokichi hummed, rubbing the back of his head “Never really learned how.”

                “That’s…a lie right?” Shuichi sighed, testing the lighter before moving to grab a few candles from the pile of wax.

                “Aww, you could tell?” Kokichi grinned, picking up a small tea light “I was gonna have you read it to me, Shuuu-chan.”

                After lighting a short candle, Shuichi glanced around to find a suitable candleholder before setting the lit candle in the socket. “This shouldn’t actually take that long.” He hummed, rolling another, larger, candle in his hand. “The tricky part is making sure the large candles are placed in all the wider candleholders so everything fits in the end.”

                Moving around the room, he allowed himself to fall into the relaxing, repetitive rhythm of flicking on the lighter, watching the wick catch, and placing the flame into a socket. The scent of wax and flames was oddly familiar and it reminded him a lot of home. The slightly dusty, woody scent of the church intermingled with freshly lit candles, filling the space with an almost soothing atmosphere.

                “Ah shit!”

                The shriek of pain yanked him out of his trance, and he whirled around to see Kokichi clutching his right hand to his chest, hissing under his breath.

                “What happened?” Shuichi’s brow furrowed in worry as he dropped the candle in his hand and rushed over to check on the other boy.

                “Burned myself.” Kokichi winced, before looking up at him, purple eyes sparkling with mischief. “Ha, even now! You’re concerned about me from the bottom of your heart! Can’t be helped, I guess I stole your love after all, huh?”

                “You don’t have to steal anything for me to be worried about you,” Shuichi sighed, surveying the damage on Kokichi’s fingers before glancing down at him with an exasperated look. “You…you don’t know how to use a lighter…do you?”

                “Of course not! What kind of Supreme Leader does his own dirty work? Lighting fires? That’s an underling’s job!”

                “Then why didn’t you tell me?” The detective glanced around the room before pulling Kokichi toward the pulpit “There are matches in the box too.”

                “Don’t trust matches, they’re evil.” He hissed as Shuichi led him to the wall behind the altar and pressed his burned fingers to the cold metal body of the cross. Almost instantly the heat and pain seemed to leave his body, the cool iron sucking it away upon contact. “W-what just happened?”

                “Thermal conduction…probably.” Shuichi smiled to see that his theory had worked “Keep your hand there for a little bit, the best first aid for a burn is to stop the burning process, and since we don’t have any water, this should be just as effective.”

                “Shuichi…you really do know a lot, huh?” Kokichi grinned, pulling his hand off the metal. “Are you suuuurrre you don’t want to join my organization? Yeah, yeah, you already said no…but the offer is always open if you change your mind.” Grabbing the taller boy’s sleeve, he pulled him back over to the pile of candles. “But right now, let’s play a game!”

                “Your hand…”

                “I’ll be fineeee” Kokichi wiggled his fingers as if proving his range of motion had returned before scooping up an armful of tea lights. “How much time do we have left?”

_Time Remaining: 1 hour, 5 minutes_

                “Okay, that’s perfect! Shuichi, the rules are simple: whoever lights the most candles wins!”

                “But…how are you going to light them?”

                “Do you really doubt a Supreme Leader?” Kokichi smirked before reaching over and plucking a tall, lit candle from its candleholder. “Flame lights flame doesn’t it? So this is just as good as any match. The game staaaaaarts…Now!”

                Watching flashes of purple and white flicker through the rows of pews as the little gremlin enthusiastically placed tea lights into their holders, Shuichi couldn’t help but slip into a large smile. Somehow…he didn’t think he would be winning this game.

                With Kokichi sprinting through the rows and Shuichi covering the taller fixtures on the walls, the pile of candles quickly diminished.

                “This should be the last one.” Shuichi smiled, flicking the lighter with a sore thumb before setting the tall candle into the empty slot on the candelabra.

                …

                Nothing.

_Time Remaining: 15 minutes_

                “Monokuma! What is happening?”

                The crackly sound of the bear’s voice echoed through some hidden loudspeaker, filling the church with maniacal laughter. “What do you mean? For an Ultimate, you're really dense aren'tcha? I said it before didn’t I? Fulfill the quest and your bracelets come off! Fail and it’s Shock-Shock Time!”

                “But we did! We lit every candle.”

                “Haven’t you ever heard the phrase ‘liar liar pants on fire?’ If you aren’t careful, your drawers are going to start smoking Shuichi! Puhuhuhuhuhuhu.” And then with a click, Monokuma was gone.

                “Shuichi…” The leader’s voice was soft as he pointed toward the front of the room “look.”

                Following his finger, Shuichi felt a cold rush of goose bumps as he saw it—a single empty candleholder among the sea of wax and flames.

 

                Despite their best efforts, ten minutes of frantic, thorough searching yielded nothing. Not a trace of the final, missing candle.

_Time Remaining: 5 minutes._

 

                “Shuichi…I’m supposed to be the liar.” Kokichi stopped in front of the empty candleholder and turned to the other boy with tear filled eyes. “I’m supposed to be the liar! I wanted to trust you! I wanted to trust you!”

                “W-what?” Shuichi blinked at the sudden outburst, instinctively taking a step back “What are you talking about?”

                “If we’ve looked everywhere and it’s not in the church, what does that mean?! What does that mean Shuichi?” His shoulders shook as he lunged forward, jabbing a finger into the detective’s chest “It means you lied, it means you lied to me Shuichi!”

                “W-what?” His eyes widened in absolute surprise at the accusation “You…you think I have it Kokichi? The last candle?”

                Taking another step back as the leader flew at him, Shuichi tripped over a bump in the rug, falling to the ground with a painful thud as the shorter boy landed on him knocking the breath from his chest.

                “Give it back! Give it back Shuichi! I don’t wanna die yet. They’re waiting…they’re waiting for me! I wanted to trust you! I don’t wanna die yet!”

                Shuichi’s eyes widened as he struggled to catch his breath. Kokichi’s shoulders were shaking, purple hair covering his eyes as he pounded at the detective’s chest with weak fists. Tears dripped down his face, landing on Shuichi’s jacket, forming darker blotches on the already dark fabric.

                He couldn’t help but remember that day. That day Kokichi had injured himself playing the knife game. The shorter boy’s hands had been shaking then as well; Shuichi could feel the tremors as he tried his best to bandage the knife wounds…That day he had offered the leader his hand. Kokichi didn’t take it.

                “Hey…Kokichi…” Gently pushing the crying boy off his chest, Shuichi sighed, unbuttoning his tear-stained suit jacket and slipping it off his shoulders “I don’t have it…the last candle. But…I want you to trust me. So…go ahead…search me.”

                “What?”

                “Search me.” He held his open hands above his head in invitation “We looked through the entire room right? So if I have the candle, it has to be hidden on my body. Go ahead, search me.”

                “……Keep your hands above your head.” Kokichi hiccupped, moving forward hesitantly.

                Shuichi sighed, looking up at the tall ceiling as Kokichi’s hands moved over his body, firmly patting him down. Staring at the wooden supports, a grim possibility came to his head… _Why were they so sure there was another candle at all? Monokuma could be lying to them…it wouldn’t be the first time…_

                “You…you don’t have it.” Kokichi finally concluded, backing away from the taller boy to sit against the wall, hugging his knees together. “Then…where?”     

                “Maybe…there were never enough candles to fill all of the slots.” Shuichi bit his lip, looking around the room once more. “We searched everywhere earlier…and doesn’t the quest seem too easy? Maybe it was a set up.”

                "N-No way...Are we really gonna die? I don't wanna die yet...” His voice cracked and wavered as tears trailed down his face, dropping onto the carpet. “I don’t wanna die…alone…”

                “You…aren’t alone Kokichi.”

                “…”

                “I’m here, right? …So you aren’t alone.”

                “…”

                “I know you don’t have faith in me yet…but…despite everything, I want to be someone that you can trust.” He gently extended his hand toward the shorter boy, offering to him the symbol of hope Oma hadn’t accepted before. “So…don’t worry, I won’t leave you.”

                Kokichi sniffled, slowly raising his head to regard Shuichi’s outstretched hand with tear filled eyes. “…No matter what?”

                “No matter what.”

                “Is that a promise?” he hiccupped, swiping a sleeve across his face to wipe away tears.

_Time Remaining: 3 minutes_

                “It’s a promise.”

                Kokichi hesitantly reached forward, closing the distance between their hands. “No takebacks?”

                “No takebacks.”Shuichi’s hand was warm and soft as it gave him a reassuring squeeze. It felt nice…his touch. “Lighting these candles with you was fun Kokichi,” the detective sighed, leaning back against the wall to survey the sea of lights flickering around them. “I wouldn’t mind hanging out some more…but we don’t have any time left…”

                “…Really? You don’t think I’m…boring? You really liked playing with me?” Kokichi blinked, staring at the detective as if searching for the truth in his olive eyes.

                “Yeah…” Shuichi smiled gently, “It was the most fun I’ve had in a while.”

_Time Remaining: 1 minute_

                “I’m glad…” Kokichi sighed softly before releasing the detective’s hand and standing up with a dramatic flourish, stretching both arms up toward the lofted ceiling. “Then let’s do it! Let’s play another game!”

                “W-what?”

                “As the Ultimate Supreme Leader…” His face stretched wide with a maniacally gleeful smile. Pulling a balled fist from behind his back, the shorter boy slowly uncurled his fingers to reveal a small lavender votive candle cradled in the palm of his hand. Shuichi’s eyes widened with cold realization as Kokichi leaned over, dipping the wick of the last candle into the crackling flame of another nearby. “…this world is mine.”

                _Kokichi...why...?_

                Soundlessly, the golden blaze jumped up toward the small votive, igniting the fresh wick almost instantaneously.

               The final candle fit neatly into the empty holder.

               Two quiet clicks followed as the metal bracelets unlocked, tumbling to the ground with light clatters which echoed through the silent church. _Quest Complete._

                Kokichi leaned forward, yanking the taller boy to his feet with a wild grin. “So…Shuumai…” he moved closer. Shuichi inched away from the advance until his back hit the wall with a painful thud. Tilting forward, Kokichi sent his hand drifting up the other student’s body before finally pressing his fingertips to Shuichi’s chest directly over the heart. “Tag, you’re it.”

                Then Kokichi was sprinting away, weaving among rows of lit candles and jumping to run atop wooden pews in his quest to escape. The sea of flames seemed to part in his wake, flickering erratically as gleeful peals of laughter rang through the air.

               

_I…really like you Shuichi. So…that promise…please don’t break it. I…I want to trust you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -So…did I give you chills?
> 
> -Tbh, I almost scrapped this chapter halfway through bc I wasn’t sure if Kokichi was too OOC, but I decided to keep it in the end. Essentially, the whole point was that Kokichi was testing Shuichi. Um, I guess even though he acts really forward and open, in Kokichi’s FTEs, even after hanging out w/ Shuichi five times, he still doesn’t take his hand when Shuichi offers it. It kinda just feels like it takes a lot for him to build trust which is understandable in its own way…  
> \---Despite his actions, you can definitely still catch glimpses of his inner child through some of his dialogue, so I think it makes sense for him to pull this kind of a prank…there’s just like a ‘tiny’ disparity between his motive and what is socially acceptable to do to someone (making someone think they’re going to die defo crosses that line)….and that’s the kind of thing children don’t really spare too much thought when they act.  
> \-----------But…this was fun, and I do plan on writing another, more fluffy chapter of them in the future.
> 
> \--Random Side Note-- I finally got around to reading the Nagito POV manga, but I had to stop after a couple of chapters because the art was giving me like heart palpitations. Ahaha, the way Nagito’s eyes are drawn and his expressions are like jumpscares, holy cow. (It’s good though, would recommend if you need an adrenaline rush, defo gives you a better understanding of his mind)
> 
> \-----I read through the suggestions I’ve received so far and they’re really good. I’ll defo write some of them, but be patient bc my brain only works when it wants to, so sometimes I get distracted and start to write something else. So like…it might take a while, but it’s coming. Feel free to throw more at me <3


	4. Korekiyo + Rantaro

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Kiss—yes, that means on the lips”  
> “Students: Rantaro Amami, Korekiyo Shinguji”
> 
> Warning: This chapter has a ton of headcanon aspects in it. Essentially, Korekiyo’s sister isn’t an evil tulpa. That aspect really changes the story though, so, idk, if you like how the canon presents it, you might not like this, just a fair warning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Suicide, Minor Wound (unrelated), Delusions
> 
> Barn Swallow: a bird which returns to the same nest year after year instead of building a new one.  
> Matte Lipstick: After it dries, it’s not glossy. This is pretty useful, bc some lipsticks don’t dry, so like if you accidentally touch your mouth, whoops, now there’s lipstick on your sweater! With matte lipsticks, the color will behave without transferring…for a while at least

 

                “How interesting…” Korekiyo murmured, carefully picking up a single white rose from the bouquet of flowers settled atop the dresser. Similar arrangements perched themselves on the various tables and chairs around the room, accenting a massive bed in the center. “White roses…are the flowers the mastermind chose for this quest…”

                “Is it particularly strange?” Rantaro hummed, reaching over to touch the velvety petals of another flower with the tip of his finger. “Roses represent love do they not? I suppose the color choice is different though…usually red indicates romance doesn’t it?”

                “You are correct…in popular culture at least.” The anthropologist moved his thumb over an unclipped thorn on the side of the rose. “Red roses traditionally represent true love in the west, and many agree that white roses symbolize purity and innocence…however…the meaning changes entirely when the thorns are left intact.” He applied a little pressure and the dark thorn pierced his bandaged finger sending a vivid blossom of scarlet across the white linen. “And white…the color we so dearly value as indicating marriage and new beginnings…it’s the color of death in many cultures in the East.”

                “Ah, I’ve watched village funerals where those in mourning wore white.” Rantaro nodded in thought. “I believe the natives said it symbolized a purity and perfection of the spirit of the deceased.”

                “Truly…for the dead are beautiful creatures,” he sighed wistfully before setting down the rose and glancing upwards to scan the ceiling of the room for traces of electronic monitoring equipment. “Beautiful…unlike the mastermind’s crude idea of entertainment.”

                “You hurt yourself.” Rantaro sighed, digging into his pocket to pull out a small, fist sized first aid kit. “An Ultimate well oriented to field work should be more cautious, what if that was a venomous native plant?”

                “Tsk, I assure you I’ve encountered far more harrowing danger than plant poison.” Korekiyo noted dryly, moving out of reach as he continued surveying the room, lifting up items and peering behind curtains.

                “Okay, now you’re getting blood everywhere.” Rantaro frowned, shaking the first aid kit in his hand, “As a big brother, I just can’t let you keep going around untreated. If I don’t disinfect it now, it’s going to hurt a loooot more when it gets infected.”

                “You should know better than to treat me as if I was a child.” The anthropologist hissed in annoyance before moving to the other side of the room.

                “…Alright, how about this?” Rantaro sat down on the edge of the bed, sinking lightly into the duvet as the mattress creaked beneath him. “If you let me bandage your hand, I’ll allow you to fulfill the quest right now.” He tapped the bracelet on his wrist with one finger, drawing attention to the LED display. “I know, I know, it’s a little unpleasant, but the sooner we complete it, the sooner we can leave this room. And wouldn’t it be easier if I consented? That way you wouldn’t have to tie me up or anything.”

                “Your wording suggests that you would choose to resist if I refused your proposal.”

                “It’s…possible.”

                “I do not believe this falls under the category of a ‘fair’ deal, Rantaro.”

                “I never said it did.”

                “…All right,” Korekiyo nodded briefly before moving across the room in a few long strides to sit on the bed beside the adventurer. “I’ll humor you, this once.”

               

                “Why do you bandage your hands?” Rantaro hummed as he carefully unraveled the linen revealing smooth, unmarred skin.

                “My sister once said she liked the bandages mummies wear. We were reading about ancient Egypt that day—ah.” He broke off with a hiss as the adventurer dabbed the wound with rubbing alcohol before peeling open a small bandage.

                “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt for long. This will make it feel better…” Rantaro gently squeezed the bandaged hand, massaging the area lightly much like a nurse would do after administering a shot.

                “I am quite alright.” Korekiyo’s voice was tight as he snatched his fingers back, reaching into his pocket to pull out a fresh roll of linen. “Now…fulfill your end of the bargain Rantaro, I am growing quite tired of this room.”

                “Of course.” The first aid kit closed with a gentle click before finding its place in his pocket once again. “But …I think you might have to take off your mask for it to count.”

                _Take off your mask…_

                Korekiyo froze as if the thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. The words on the bracelet swirled around his wrist sending his mind into a whirling panic. _“Quest: Kiss—yes that means on the lips.”_ Of course. The green haired boy was correct…he would likely have to remove it in order for the sadistic bear to consider the quest completely fulfilled. He took a breath. Then another. Then another.

                The room around him seemed to blur, washing around in itself as the color mixed together before plummeting into a void. Then it was black. It was dark all around him.

                A small cotton seed floated in the darkness and he reached desperately for it, running, running, running. His fingers closed around empty air.

                Small shrieks echoed through the inky void…they sounded so familiar…He whirled around in panic and spotted the round shape of a minute dream catcher—the size of a child’s closed fist—spinning lazily as it hung from some invisible thread. In its pearly white strings was a small black and red butterfly, weakly struggling to free itself.

                “No!”

                His call was almost a plea as he stretched his shaking hand toward the butterfly. _He couldn’t reach._ The insect’s small body slowly started to still, succumbing to the inevitable fate of those white shackles.

                “No…not again…”

                “Korekiyo?” A faint voice echoed far away as he felt the ground beneath him ripple. Dark hands of pitch black tar slowly oozed out of the ink all around him. Burning fingers clawed at his legs, clutching his clothing as they dragged him slowly into the sea of shadows. Throat burning, he struggled for air. _Breathe. Breathe…_ Murky patches expanded across his vision as he felt himself slowly falling into the darkness.

                “Sweet Korekiyo…”

                His eyes instantly snapped open at the sound of that familiar voice. “Sister…” She was as radiant as always. Standing there in a beautiful gown of white. Glowing in the darkness, her shine was a brilliant star. Long black hair flowed down her back; winged, sharp eyeliner framed her keen golden eyes; her vibrant lips curled into an amused smile as she gazed down at him.

                “You must calm yourself. You mustn’t lose composure. I’m not satisfied yet. Are you really going to leave me here without friends? I’m still lonely Korekiyo, won’t you find me more…more beautiful friends?”

                “Sister!” He shouted, shaking off the shadows and leaping forward in a surge of strength to grab her hand as she faded away. “I will! I’ll survive. I’ll survive and bring you a lot more! A lot more friends.”

                “I’ll be waiting Korekiyo…don’t let me down.”

 

                “Korekiyo?” Rantaro’s green eyes worriedly flickered as he shook the taller boy gently by the shoulders. “Korekiyo…are you alright?”

                 “Yes…” He blinked as the room popped back into focus. “It’s time for you to fulfill your end of the deal Rantaro.”

                “You already said that…like five minutes ago…are you sure you’re okay? I think you were…talking to yourself.”

                “Rantaro. Do not attempt to delay me. I have things I must do.” Korekiyo reached up toward the mask on his face before pausing, fingers hesitating on the edge of the dark fabric. “I…I may not look like what you expect…” He slipped the covering off his face in a careful motion.

 

                _Crimson._

_Long ago, he had decided to color his lips crimson like hers._

_Crimson, the color of love._

_Crimson, the color of blood._

               

                Rantaro leaned forward without a pause, pressing his soft lips to Korekiyo’s chapped ones in a firm yet gentle kiss.

                “Korekiyo…” He pulled away slowly, sending concerned green eyes to meet warm golden ones. “Your lips…”

                The anthropologist flinched at the mention, instinctively looking away. Two hands grabbed the sides of his face, forcing his gaze upwards to meet Rantaro’s fierce glare.

                “Your lips…Your lips are sooooo cracked.”

_What?_

                “Please. _Please_ tell me you moisturize them before putting on that liquid lipstick.”

                “Moisturize?”

                “Oh my god.” Rantaro groaned in disbelief, pulling Korekiyo toward the bathroom. “Sit on the edge of the bathtub, I’ll be right back.”

                The adventurer returned shortly with a small cosmetics bag in his hand, setting it down on the sink counter before unzipping it and pulling out a few products. “Thank goodness Monokuma at least had the decency to bring some of my stuff here.” Flipping open a small bag, he sighed, turning toward the taller boy. “Okay…look Korekiyo…matte liquid lipstick is great because it has such a vibrant color, but it’s really drying. That’s why it’s important to make sure your lips are moisturized before and after you apply it, otherwise you’ll end up with chapped lips. Here, wipe the lipstick off with this and I’ll show you how to do it.”

                Korekiyo complied, silent with curiosity as Rantaro ran through the steps, handing him small tubs and tubes of product, occasionally instructing him to apply them.

                “First, start by exfoliating your lips. Don’t do this more than once a day, but a gentle sugar scrub like this one works really well. As an added benefit, removing the dead skin really makes the application of color smoother and more uniform.

                Next. Moisturize. You can use a lot of different stuff, but I find chapstick the easiest to carry around. Coconut oil is nice too, but it melts into a liquid if you put it in your pocket, so it’s more of a night time thing.

                Okay, so for color, matte liquid lipstick does look really nice, but honestly, it’s kinda a pain to maintain throughout the day…so personally I like using this. Go ahead, try it, it’s called ‘lip stain’ and you can usually find pretty bright shades for pinks and reds. After you put it on in the morning, it basically lasts for hours, even if you eat or drink which is really nice. But….it can be kinda drying, so that’s why it’s important to moisturize before.

                Oh, and since lip stain is matte after it dries, you can totally apply chapstick over it, which is what I do all the time.”

                “So…what do you think?” Rantaro grinned as Korekiyo stood in front of the mirror, “Not bad huh? The skin on your lips is really thin y’know? So you have to be more careful with it.”

 

                “Why…why are you doing this for him?” As the taller boy turned around, Rantaro raised a brow in confusion at the sudden voice and demeanor change. Korekiyo’s shoulders had slightly relaxed from his usual straight posture, his hands settled on his hips in an expression of exasperation he never adopted, and his voice had changed almost completely, rising up just enough to resemble that of a girl.

                “Are you…someone else?”

                “What do you want? What do you want with my brother? Answer me!”

                “What? Nothing, I promise,” he smiled sheepishly, holding his hands up in surrender, “It’s…just been a long time since I’ve been able to use my knowledge to help someone y’know? The things I used to do for my sisters…” His voice trailed off as memories tugged, pulling him into a soft daydream, “I just…I just wanted to help.”

                “Help……Would you…help me then?” She grabbed his shoulder, squeezing it tightly enough that Rantaro winced, flinching back. “Oh, sorry, I always forget that this is his body…”

                “What…what do you mean? You’re his sister right? The one he always talks about?”

                “Yes I am…no…I _was_ his sister. I’m dead, Rantaro. I’ve been dead for a while now. For more than five years…I shouldn’t be here right now…I _don’t want_ to be here right now.”

                “Then…how?”

                “He won’t let me leave.” She sighed, tiredly setting her chin in her hands and peering into the mirror at the reflection of Korekiyo’s face. “You know…I used to wear my hair like this…with winged liner and red lipstick. Over the years, he’s gotten better at applying it than I ever was.”

                “Hmm…soul binding through memory preservation…” Rantaro hummed, running his hands through his hair, “I think I’ve heard of it on my journeys…it was really only a taboo rumor though…”

                “That’s because it’s not a medical treatment or ritual of any kind,” She sighed, turning back toward him. “It’s a creation of the mind. Because humans have flawed perceptions, they bind their emotions to their false ideals. As a result…some strange things can happen. I’m partially stuck in this world because of him…yet, I can’t interact with him at all…And at the same time…he thinks he’s talking with me. In reality, he’s communicating with a twisted version of a sister he created in his own mind.”

                “I didn’t think those kinds of beliefs had the power to bind another’s soul to the world of the living.”

                “They don’t…this version of me you’re speaking to right now…I’m just another offshoot of his delusions. Deep down, perhaps a part of him does remember the real me. But nevertheless, I shouldn’t exist here Rantaro.” She hissed in thinly veiled anger. “The human brain is a strange place. Have you ever heard of the placebo effect? Psychosomatic disorders? What we believe with all our hearts can—to us—become reality.”

                “So in order to break from that reality…he just needs to disillusion himself.”

                “Correct. The central illusion holding me here is: deep down…he doesn’t believe I’m dead. Despite everything…he still hasn’t accepted it. And that acceptance…that’s something he needs to figure out himself…but…”

                “But building connections in the real world will help contrast against the one-sided relationship in his mind.” Rantaro hummed, finishing the thought.

                “That’s correct.” She narrowed her eyes, tossing the face mask into the garbage, watching as it disappeared from view. “You know…he always did have such a pretty face, it’s a shame that he’s resorted to hiding it.”

                “He’s not going to be happy about that.”

                “It’s tough love,” she sighed, sitting down next to him on the edge of the bath tub. “I’ve been patient for so long, but it’s time to give him a push in the right direction. I can’t control when I can form my consciousness. As he’s aged, he’s gotten more and more deluded. Sometimes he just starts talking to himself you know?”

                “So those times…they weren’t you?”

                “What kind of fucked up sister would tell their little brother to murder people?”

                “Wait, he’s murdered people?!”

                “He…he thinks he’s murdered people. So far though, it’s all just been in his head…But who knows how long that’ll last? I don’t have any power over him…” She groaned, pressing a hand against her forehead, “Soon I might not be able to come out at all…I’ll just be stuck somewhere in his mind space, dimly aware of his actions through the haze, a mere jumble of disoriented memory fragments.

That’s my worst fear you know…not being in control…it always has been…” She turned slightly to meet his gaze, “That’s why I made sure I was in control until the end…that’s why I made sure I knew when I was going to die. It wasn’t my doctor’s choice. It wasn’t my body’s choice. It wasn’t the disease’s choice. It was my choice.”

                “How did you know—” Rantaro broke off with shocked realization, glancing over to meet her tired eyes. “You…you didn’t…”

                “You know…I was in that cold, white hospital room for so long I forgot the feel of sun on my skin. One day I looked out the window and I couldn’t remember what the wind felt like at all …what the grass smelled like…what the birds sounded like. The only one who hadn’t given up on me was him. Even after all those years, he still kept coming, bringing his homework and his books so that he could keep me company.” A faint smile played on her lips as she remembered happier days. “Then…I realized. I don’t know what brought it on. But I realized that I was holding him back. He should’ve been exploring the world, making friends, doing everything a normal boy did…but instead he was holed up in the stark white prison with me…

I tried for a long time after that to send him flying away…but it was too late, like a trained swallow, he always returned. It wasn’t as if I sacrificed much…in fact…maybe it was a little selfish on my part, but I was running out of time anyways. And it was getting more painful to wake up every morning. I was tired of not being in control. Something else had controlled me my whole life…so I decided to finally take the reins.

My parents didn’t bat an eye when I told them…I think they were glad to finally be rid of me…in fact they handed it to me, the bottle of pills. The last time I saw their faces I remember being a little surprised. “Who are you?” I asked. I hadn’t seen them for so long that I had forgotten what they looked like…" She slipped into a faint smile at the expression on Rantaro’s face. "There’s no need to feel bad for me.”

“In fact, I was a little excited, thinking about it. About finally dying. It hurt…being alive. I smiled for him—because of him—but it was only a momentary distraction from the pain. …I… was so careful…I specifically chose a day when I knew he wasn’t coming. I swallowed them in the bathroom—out of sight of the security cameras…I made sure to do it fast so I could make it back to bed, posing myself as if I was sleeping among the pillows before the drugs kicked in.”

                “But…he still found out.” It wasn’t a question, it was a statement.

                “Yes. That’s why this version of me remembers. Remembers things that happened even after I was gone…The nurses found the empty pill bottle in the bathroom garbage. I hadn’t thought to dispose of it, but even if I had, I didn’t have anywhere I could’ve hidden it.” She chuckled softly “But it didn’t matter if he knew…I thought he’d finally be free. The swallow can’t return to its nest if the building is destroyed after all…I was a fool.

For a while he was…free. I think he threw himself into his work, traveling the globe and visiting historical landmarks that we had always wanted to see together. Then…one day he was attacked by locals for trespassing on some important site. They hurt him…He was scared. Really scared…Then…He resurrected it. The building. He resurrected it in his mind. That flawed image of a sister rose out of the darkness, a shining, cruel effigy. And I…I was yanked from whatever resting place I had found—fragmented and strewn to the back of his mind.

I never knew he saw me that way…perhaps I really was like that…perhaps I really was that demented…who knows?” She softly shook her head with a small smile. “Soon…Soon I’ll probably return to that shattered, formless state forever. It might not be today or tomorrow…but one day I might not be able to come out again…I want to pass on before he forgets my true self completely.”

“I’m…tired, Rantaro. I know I’m not your real sister, but will you help me? … Will you help him?”

                 He smiled, reaching up to pat her head in reassurance. “Of course.” 

                “Hey…I’m older than you, treat a big sister with respect!” She grinned before grabbing his face in her hands and leaning in. “I’m losing my grasp on this body…he’ll be back soon. Rantaro, you’ve really fixed up his lips huh? I’ve always liked them…these lips of his, so, don’t let him hide them again okay?”

                Without another word, she leaned forward, kissing him firmly as their lips collided. This time the contact was longer, and Rantaro couldn’t help but watch with curiosity as Korekiyo’s body gradually shifted, back straightening and posture changing as he slowly took back control.

 

                “Rantaro…I’m afraid I’m in a relationship.” Korekiyo blinked in surprise at their situation before pulling back.

                “Well…you’re actually the one who kissed me this time.” Rantaro noted dryly, raising an eyebrow and watching for signs of remembrance. There were none.

                “Is that true? Hmmm…perhaps I do not understand myself as well as I believed.” Shifting, he pressed a palm to one side of his face in amusement. “If you weren’t a boy, I’d introduce you to my dear sister…what a pity.”

                “It’s okay…” Rantaro hummed under his breath as he leaned toward the mirror, applying a fresh coat of chapstick, “I’ve already met her.”

                “Could you repeat that? I’m afraid I didn’t catch your words.” Korekiyo exhaled, distractedly searching around the room with his eyes.

                “It wasn’t important.” Rantaro smiled before tapping the anthropologist’s shoulder. “We should get going, the door unlocked a while ago, and we don’t want to be locked in here.”

                “Have you seen my mask?”

                “…nooo…”

                “I guess it can’t be helped, I do have a spare in my dorm,” he sighed, following Rantaro toward the door. “Perhaps it is a personal question; however, I am curious, Rantaro…Why do you own so much makeup?”

                “Oh, I do drag sometimes.”

                “…truly?”

                “Yeah, I don’t know, it’s fun.”

                “Kehehe, you are a strange human, Rantaro Amami.”

                “I could say the same for you Korekiyo…but that just makes me want to get to know you better.”

 

                “The feeling is mutual.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Need help visualizing the room?: <https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch4-Room-sketch-799221832>
> 
> Full versions of this Ch's Sketches: [The One He Sees](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch4-Korekiyo-Sis-But-Tulpa-version-799222952) | [The Nice One](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch4-Korekiyo-s-Sis-799222711) | [Kiyo](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch4-Korekiyo-799222500) | [Rantaro](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch4-Rantaro-799222379)  
> -  
> -Korekiyo’s sis is someone I’ve been trying to wrap my head around for a while, and I know, my theory about it is just a headcanon, but…it just felt kinda right? The incest thing isn’t really my shtick, but I do feel like the love was mutual at least for a while, so I dropped some hints to it. <3
> 
> -Ahaha, my fingers just get so tingly whenever I write soft kisses. Like I'm p awful at writing them, but even just thinking about them! It's like a shot of Serotonin straight to the heart. Pow!
> 
> -Like I don’t even really wear makeup, but I did research, so hopefully this makes sense~ (When I wear lip products, I wear lip tints which are like tinted lip balms. Some are super moisturizing, but I haven’t seen any matte ones—and they’re pretty light in color—so not ideal for Kiyo)
> 
> -I’m so sorry for these highkey nonsense author’s notes. When I’m delirious with stress I go from Chaotic Neutral to Chaotic Disaster. Huzzah!


	5. Kaede + Shuichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Give a Perfect Piano Performance”  
> “Time Limit: 2 hours”  
> “Students: Kaede Akamatsu, Shuichi Saihara”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: None! This one's short + sweet <3
> 
> Spoons: a card game. After getting all four suits of one card, you hafta reach forward + grab the spoon in the middle of the playing field before your opponent.

               

                A small cubic box of musical scores sat on a short table beside the grand piano. “Choose a piece” Shuichi bit his lip as he read the small sign taped to the crate. The center of the circular room was elaborately accented by a scattering of rose petals made of brilliant red cloth upon the ground, starkly contrasting a snowy white stage floor and the rich, black varnish of the grand piano.

                “Yes! I love this piece!” Kaede cried out with happy excitement as she pulled a folded piece of sheet music from the box of neatly filed options.

                “’Clair de Lune’ by Debussy...”

                “Yeah, it’s beautiful! It’s a soothing song that calms your heart, like the moon’s reflection on water...” She smiled into a soft reverie of warm memories before sliding up the lid of the piano and setting the open sheet music upon the stand. “Shuichi don’t worry about this quest, I’ll teach you how to perform okay? So sit down and let me play this for you…relax a little.”

                The gentle notes floated from the keys toward the ceiling, dancing as they permeated the room before softly fading away like slight ripples upon the surface of a lake. Lilting strings of melody twirled in the air as they spiraled in silken dance, falling gracefully from above to stream down over the stage with the lyrically light steps of moonlight wafting through clear window panes.

                As the final notes faded into the air like the pale moon meeting warm tides of dawn, she turned to him with a breathless smile. “So…do you like it?”

                “It’s…beautiful…”

                “Yup…it really is… Oh! Shuichi, check in the box for me. Do you see a piece called “Sonatine” by Maurice Ravel? That would also be a great one to play.”

                “N-no…I don’t think so…” He murmured, carefully leafing through the various pieces in the box of options. “There’s one called…Sonatina…In C Major?”

                “Is it by Clementi?” She stood up with curiosity, slipping her hands into her skirt pockets as she watched him flip through the music.

                “Y-yeah.” He held up the piece for inspection.

                “Clementi is really good too, buuut I think I’ll teach you this one Shuichi.” She grinned, tugging ‘Sonatina in C Major’ from his hand and setting it back in the box. “That way, maybe you can play it for yourself if you ever want to see moonlit shores in your head! Come on, sit next to me, I’ll teach you.”

 

                “There, place your second finger on C…no the key next to that is C, that one is D……Yeah, that’s right, okay now put your whole body into it………don’t flatten your hand like that, imagine you’re holding an egg in your palm…yeah, that’s right, kind of curl your digits…… that looks good!” She patiently lifted his fingers to the correct positions, moving her arm in demonstration as he clumsily attempted to mimic her motions. “You’re really stiff Shuichi…you need to loosen up a little bit, just let your body move with the song… Here, place your hand on top of mine…yeah that’s good…okay, I’m going to play through the melody now. Feel how my whole arm moves. When you play afterwards, just remember to let your hand float to the keys when you change positions, let your body relax.”

                Her fingers gracefully danced across the keys as his hand rested heavily on hers. Every shift…he could feel it…feel her talent though her smooth, confident movements.

                Flinching, he pulled his hand off hers, standing up abruptly and moving away from the piano.

                “Shuichi?” She turned in bewilderment at his sudden motion. “Are you feeling okay—”

                 “Kaede…I…I can’t…I can’t play piano.” The bright stage lights streaming from up above cast his face in white, reflecting the sharp pallor of his skin. “There’s…there’s no way I can do this in…”

_Time Remaining: 30 minutes_

                “I can’t do this in thirty minutes…so just stop trying to teach me…If you don’t fulfill the quest, you’re going to be punished. So leave me here, I’ll be fine.” He bit his lip, pulling the baseball cap down further until the brim covered his eyes.

                “………What do you mean, silly? You have to play with me or I can’t fulfill the quest! It’s a duet after all.”

                “W-What?”

                “Look at the sheet music? See? There’s duet markings here on the piece…it requires two players. And look at the bench at the piano, why do you think it’s so wide?”

                “…It’s made for two people.”

                “Yup, you know, the smaller solo bench is a lot shorter. The duet bench is more common because piano always sounds better when playing with someone else…The sounds you can create with another…they’re filled with so much happiness…” She smiled, tilting her head in invitation, “So, we have to play together Shuichi, to fulfill this quest!”

                “B-but Kaede—”

                “Up, up, I don’t want to hear any arguments!” She chided, holding up a finger and waving him back toward the bench, “Come on, let’s play together, okay Shuichi?”

~.o.~

                “Relax, let the song draw you in, and just...play.”

                As their melodies and harmonies intertwined, she gently reached over, occasionally filling in the notes Shuichi missed and carefully correcting his mistakes with light additions to make them sound like parts of the piece. Although it wasn’t as smooth as her first play through, the minute pauses and lilts and improvisations almost seemed to add a different sort of life to the music.

                The last note trailed off, echoing around the room with a beautiful finality.

                *Click* Shuichi blinked with relief as his bracelet dropped to the floor.

                “Hey, that wasn’t too bad right? You did amazing Shuichi. So, please…be more confident. I believe in you, so you should definitely believe in yourself!”

                “But…I definitely messed up many times…”

                “Did you have fun? Playing it with me?”

                “Y-yeah…”

                “Then _I’d_ call it a perfect performance.”

                “But Monokuma…”

                "Well, in my experience, music has always reached other people's hearts." She grinned, closing the sheet music on the stand. “Maybe it awakened his.”

                “Unlikely…” He paused, silently glancing down at the metal bracelet lying unlocked on the ground in a ring of forlorn silver. “Kaede…why did you say it was a duet? The quest?”

                “…So you noticed?” She turned to him with a cheerful, completely unsurprised smile, “That my bracelet unlocked after I played the piece the first time?”

                “If the duet bench is more common…having it be at the piano isn’t an indication of the quest……We were also both playing with only one hand…meaning the piece wasn’t written for a duet after all. You simply split the right and left hand segments into separate parts.”

                Kaede grinned, reaching into her skirt pocket to pull out the deactivated metal bracelet she’d tucked away earlier, letting it drop to the ground with a metallic clatter. “Piano might be my hobby, but Shuichi, I think you were destined to become a detective…You’re a great one you know? …Me? I’m just an ordinary high school girl who wanted to play a duet with you.”

                “Ah” He blushed, instinctively breaking eye contact with a flustered exhale.

                “I wanted you to relax a little…besides…this way you got to show me a little of your talent too.” She broke off with a wide grin at the flush on his face before leaning forward to tilt up the brim of his hat, exposing his eyes. “Haha, sorry Shuichi, I won’t do it again, I promise…I don’t know what came over me…Maybe I’ve been spending too much time with Kokichi…”

                “I can tell…”

                “Yup, he’s been hounding me to play Spoons with him all week…It’s because I keep beating him at it.” She wiggled her hands lightly in the air, “Nimble fingers and all—But wait…how could you tell that I was spending time with him?”

                “You…kinda smell like grape soda.”

                “I see…” She blinked in surprise before softly sighing with defeat, “It tastes pretty awful…but he looks so happy when he offers it to me…I…I just can’t refuse.”

                “Yeah…It’s really…really sweet…There’s probably a lot of sucrose in it.”

                “Right?! Everything tastes like sugar for hours afterwards!”

                “The matcha tea in the dormitory vending machine is pretty good though.”

                “Aah, really? Which one?”

                “It’s on the bottom row, the one with pictures of green tea leaves on the box.”

                “I haven’t tried that one yet.” She reached over, gently setting her hand on his. “Wanna go get some right now? I’ll show you my favorite milk tea...it's reaallly good.”

                 He flushed, feeling the warmth of her soft hand on his. After a brief moment’s hesitation, he reciprocated, lightly entwining his fingers in hers. “I-I’d love to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Need help visualizing the room?: <https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Chapter-5-Room-Sketch-798951189>
> 
> Full versions of this Ch's Sketches: [Shu](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch5-Shuichi-Sketch-798951565) | [Kaede](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch5-Kaede-Sketch-798951396)  
> -
> 
> -Oh yeah, I should’ve probs said this b4, but I kinda curse in my author’s notes…so like there’s the warning for the rest of the fic. It’s just the place I can be myself ya know? So I just type whatever pops into my head.
> 
> -You know what, screw it, I give up. If every other chapter in this fic is gonna be about Shuichi, whatever. He’s just too fun to write! Variety is overrated!  
> -Eyyyy, just imagine how evil it would be if literally anyone else got this fucking quest. Monokuma you douchebag…  
> -So…So… Did you like the perspective thingy I did with Kaede this chapter? The first killing in V3 was just so cool, I had to make a play on it!  
> \---I used to play piano, and my teacher did the weird “Hand on Hand” thing whenever we really struggled getting smooth transitions.  
> \--------Oh, btw if you’ve ever seen the sheet music for “Clair de Lune” It would be absolute hell to try and play as a split hand duet, ahahaha, Kaede was defo downplaying the amount of fixes she was doing during the performance.


	6. Hiyoko + Mikan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Strip.”  
> “Students: Hiyoko Saionji, Mikan Tsumiki”
> 
> Warning: This chapter contains some headcanon aspects about Mikan’s bandages. In the game, it’s shown that they’re just decorative when she changes into a swimsuit for the beach, but that’s not true in this fic. Just a warning~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Verbal abuse, Bullying, Mention of child pornography in passing, Implied nudity, Mentioned Wounds

                “No. Just no. I’m not going to do it. Just…NO!”

                “U-uh…Monokuma…d-don’t you think this is g-going too far?”

                “You cotton-headed, one-eyed, childish piece of shit, get out here right now!” Hiyoko spat in anger, stomping her foot as she glared at the ceiling. “I know you’re listening like the foul creep you are!”

                “Haven’t your parents ever told you to treat your elders with respect?” Monokuma’s voice crackled out of some hidden loudspeaker, “Geez, cubs these days.”

                “Change it! Change it right now! I am NOT stripping you pervert!”

                “Well, suit yourself! Just die then, Puhuhuhu.”

                “I’ll sue your shitty, toilet-clogging face for child abuse!”

                “Waiiiiiiit a minute!” His voice rose in mock panic before the speakers boomed with cackles, “I’m not forcing you to do aaaaanything. You get a choice after all, you don’t have to do aaaannnything you don’t want tooooo.”

                “Uh-Uhm, I-I think that might be considered c-coercing someone…” Mikan stammered, anxiously rubbing her wrists together.

                “Woah, woah now, coercion is such a strong word. I’d say it’s more like a gentle suggestion!~”

                “T-that’s probably not right…”

                “Of course not stupid bitch! He’s twisting our arms.” Hiyoko ground her teeth in anger, turning to stare daggers in the direction of the manic laughter. “So what? I take off my kimono and you’ll let me out of this room?”

                “Puhuhu, what do you think I am? …Nice? Oh no, the bracelets don’t come off until you’re in your birthday suits!”

                “W-WHAT?!”

                “Rock what your mama gave you! Who knows, maybe you’ll discover your inner naturalist!”

                “I-I don’t think that’s right…I-isn’t the term ‘Naturist’ n-not ‘Naturalist?’”

                “Shut up Mikan!” Hiyoko turned, viciously flicking the taller girl on the cheek before returning her attention to Monokuma. “This is exhortation! And if you’re recording this, it’s child pornography! Dirty grown-ups like you always get caught! And here I was thinking you were supposed to be a smart AI!”

                “Puhuhu,” The low laugh sent chills down their backs. “You see…that doesn’t apply…since the mastermind is a high school student just like you… And…actually, doesn’t it make sense for he or she to already be among you? To be one of you?”

                “Wait…one of us?”

                “Oh, and I’m not recording anything. You see…I already have allllll the blackmail on you guys I could ever want. Puhuhuhuhuhuhu. In fact, I’m not even watching. You see that scale on the side of the bathroom? It’s hyper-sensitive. After you’ve met the requirements, step on the scale, and if you’re wearing nothing, your bracelet will come off. Easy peasy. Yeah I know, this one really lacks the despair factor, but making up so many quests was hard work you know, my imagination was just running reeeeeaaal thin. If that’s all, I have other quests to oversee.” The intercom clicked off with a hiss leaving the two girls in stunned silence.

                “…”

                “I…I think that it would still be considered child pornography if the mastermind was our age…” Mikan hummed, rubbing her chin in thought.

                “Do you have the brains of a pig too?! That’s obviously not the problem here!” The shorter girl hissed in anger, spinning to look around the room they were locked in. The blue tiled bathroom was grand and spacious boasting several showerheads jutting from the wall on one side, some sort of enormous Jacuzzi in the far corner lined with a colorful row of shampoo bottles, a counter with two sinks, and a wide hallway closet. It almost mimicked a mashup between a high school shower room and the bathroom of some fancy five star hotel. “How do we get out of this place? There isn’t even a door!”

                Mikan opened the closet door and peered inside before closing it gently, “y-yeah, you’re right, this is just a closet. There are towels and clothes in here, but no exit.”

                “Seriously? What even is this shit?!” Hiyoko yanked her pigtails with frustration before picking up a large bottle of bubble bath and throwing it with all her might at the tiled wall. The bottle flew open upon impact, cold bubbly liquid splashing across the wall, the floor, and her as the plastic fell to the ground with an echoed smack. “Ugh…dammit…” Examining her kimono, she frowned to see the majority of the left half covered with cold strawberry-smelling fluid.

                “Hiyoko…you should probably change out of that, you’ll catch a cold!”

                “Shut up! I’m not taking orders from a nasty, trashy pigshit like you! Leave me alone!” Stalking across the room, she crossed her arms, sitting against the opposite wall from the exploded bubble bath bottle to glare at the bracelet on her wrist. _Maybe if Mr. Cow was here, he’d be able to stomp this thing off…but it was just the two of them._

                The coldness from the ceramic bathroom tiles seemed to seep into her skin, leeching away warmth as it stretched skeletal fingers to meet the frigid cloth plastered to her left side. _Cold..._

                “H-Hiyoko,” Mikan emerged from rummaging through the closet to hold up a familiarly patterned stack of cloth, “There are spare changes of clothing in the closet. I even found a spare copy of your kimono… Won’t you change?”

                “No!”

                “I promise I won’t look…y-you can tie me up and put me in the closet w-while you’re changing...  You can draw on me afterwards, I’ll take the punishment as much as you’d like, so p-please!”

                “Uhg, you’d probably like that huh? Being tied up?”

                “H-Hiyoko! I’m a nurse!”

                “I didn’t hear a no, I bet—achoo!” Although she did her best to muffle the sneeze, it echoed through the tiled room, bouncing off ceramic.

                “Your teeth are chattering…Hiyoko, you really need to change—”

                “Shut up! Pukey pig! I can’t okay?” The shorter girl glared across the room with fierce golden eyes, viciously grinding her teeth against the body’s natural temperature response. “I can’t change! If I take this off, I can’t put another kimono on. I can’t tie it myself! The bow! Get it, idiot? So leave me alone!”

                “…”

                “What are you gawking at? Feeling real good about yourself right about now?”

                “N-no…I just…That’s it? That’s the only reason you don’t want to complete the quest?”

                “Do I look like a bitch in heat? There’s no way I’m running around the school without any clothes on for the rest of the day! Achoo!”

                “I-I can tie it for you…your kimono sash. Sometimes we get older patients in the hospital who straight up refuse to wear anything other than a kimono robe…they get so panicked about hospital gowns that we just work around it.”

                “You’re so clumsy you’d probably accidentally tie the bow in the front!”

                “…If I did that…it wouldn’t be an accident…” Mikan murmured softly under her breath as she set the stack of cloth on the sink counter.

                “…What did you just say?!” Hiyoko shot up, leaping across the room to grab Mikan by the collar, pulling the nurse down to meet her fierce eyes. “Just now…what did you say?!”

                “A-Ah! I don’t know what came over me, I-I’m s-sorry Hiyoko. P-please forgive me!”

                “Repeat what you said. Repeat it. Right now!” She drew the fabric of Mikan’s apron tighter in her fist, forcing the nurse closer.

                “I-I… I-I said it wouldn’t b-be an accident. If I tied the bow in the front!” Mikan flinched, looking away as the words left her mouth, bracing herself for the slap she knew was coming.

                “…Ha! Hahahahaha!” Hiyoko let go of the apron to give her a light punch in the arm, doubling over in laughter which rang through the bathroom. “Kyahahaha—Achoo!—hahaha!”

                “H-Hiyoko? Are…Are you okay?”

                “Haha-choo! Haha.” Hiyoko gasped, trying to catch her breath against the laughter which threatened to overpower her again. “…that’s the first time you've ever stood up against me. Kyahaha! Finally! I was beginning to think you were a lost cause.”

                “H-Hiyoko? I-I don’t understand…”

                “You dummy, don’t go back to being dense!” She grinned, jabbing a finger at Mikan’s chest, “When people come after you, you have to beat them up! Show them you aren’t weak! Otherwise you’ll end up like the ant under their shoes!”

                “I-I’m not s-sure if that’s a great lesson to teach…”

                “Achoo! Of course it is! Even if you’re smaller than them or weaker than them, show you’re mentally strong and those shitty bullies will back down! Achoo!”

                “B-but I’m not small…oh…” Mikan trailed off with realization, turning to meet Hiyoko’s fierce stare with a small smile, “I promise I’ll tie it correctly…the bow…so, p-please change out of your wet kimono, you’ll catch a cold.”

                “It’s no use,” Hiyoko sighed, attempting to wave her off, “Achoo! The stuff got in my hair too…I’ll just ask Mahiru to give me a bath when we get out of here.”

                “Y-you don’t know how to bathe yourself either?...Aww…Hiyoko is so adorable when she’s embarrassed!” Turning toward the jacuzzi with consideration, Mikan nodded to herself before turning open the knobs, plugging the drain, and sticking her right hand under the water to test for temperature. “The water is warm…I-if you wouldn’t mind…I-I can give you a bath.”

                “Yeah...no. Bye-byeeeeee! I’m going, you can stay here.” Hiyoko spun around as if to leave before pausing in remembrance that there was no exit.

                “H-Hiyoko, w-wait! You’ll have to undress to get out anyways, a-and if your body temperature s-stays low for much longer, y-you could get hypothermia…”

                “…Fine! Let’s get these bracelets off, take a bath, and get out of this shitty room.” She spun around, grabbing Mikan’s arm and dragging her toward the scale, “But you have to do it too, get in the bath with me, I’m not going to be the only one naked!”

 

                *Click* Hiyoko grinned, rubbing her wrist as the bracelet unlocked, falling to the tiled floor. “Hey…what’s with your bracelet? Why isn’t it coming off? Is it defective like you?”

                “I-I don’t know…” Mikan furrowed her brows in worry, nervously picking the linen of her bandaged arm. “I-I’m not wearing anything…but the scale registers that I still have clothing on…”

                “…Birthday suits…that’s what the two-sided troll said right?”

                “I-I think so…”

                “…Hey…Mikan…how heavy are bandages?”

                “W-well, they usually aren’t that heavy, but I guess it depends upon the type and how many you weigh together. Why?......Oh…I-I see…” She silently bit the inside of her lip, “I-I…Yeah…they would be heavy enough…”

                Slowly, she unhooked the clips keeping the bandages in place, gingerly unwrapping the cloth from her arm and leg. Strips of white linen streamed toward the ground, resting lazily upon themselves in long, continuous snakes.

                *Click* A second metal bracelet dropped as it unlocked, joining the first on the floor.

 

                “…Are those recent?”

                “Yeah…don’t worry, they’re all closed. First Aid clotting agents, hemostats, w-work really well at stopping bleeding, w-well some work better than others, but I have experience with them. And the bruises aren’t deep, no serious internal bleeding…”

                “…Why would I be worried?…You’re only black and blue…”

                “Hiyoko…I-I…” Fingers nervously fluttered, holding her left arm to her side.

                “…So what? Are you gonna make me wait all day, you inconsiderate swine?” Hiyoko snapped, stepping away from the scale to plop into the warm bathwater with a splash, “I thought you were gonna give me a bath?”

                “…I-”

                “Earth to Mikan! Has your brain been replaced with a pile of pig shit? Hurry up and get over here!”

                “Ah-Ah! Of course!” Mikan stuttered, gingerly stepping into the water and letting it submerge her shoulders before raising her downcast eyes to meet Hiyoko’s expectant, golden gaze. “S-so which shampoo do you want me to use?”

                “The pink one!...No, not that one, the other pink one. Yeah, sakura is clearly superior to raspberry.” Colorful soap bubbles floated up through the steamy air reflecting rainbow shards of magentas and blues and greens and yellows before silently popping and disappearing quietly from existence. Wafting up from the soapy bathwater, trails of steam snaked toward each other, mingling into a warm mist of water vapors which settled over the bathroom like a warm blanket.

                “It smells nice…”

                “Of course it does, I picked it after all!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -If you’ve ever listened to the song [“Irresistible” by Temposhark,](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKweGUOZKW8) that’s like the song I think this ship goes well with ahahaha  
> \---I hope I wrote Mikan okay. I did a lot of research on her to keep her as much in character as possible. Tbh, she’s kinda hard for me to write bc she makes me really uncomfortable (and that’s saying something). She does have a reason for her mental state…but…that really doesn’t justify some of her beliefs. >>>>> Anyways, I was super inspired to write this piece, so I got over it. Tbh, I’m happy w/ how it turned out, so maybe I just needed a lil push outta my comfort zone~  
> \--------I have a pretty dark headcanon about Mikan’s bandages and hair, but I decided to leave the piece ambiguous, so you can interpret it yourself.  
> -My chaotic brain: Let’s play the “Make the situations as Risqué as possible but still Fluff” game!  
> -Can you tell how fucking hard I tried to make this quest not creepy? Like the scale thing makes no flipping sense, but like just go with it.  
> \--Dang it…I’m going to raise the rating on this to “Mature” just in case. I always like to overrate, just so I don’t shock anyone, um…and some topics like Suicide are pretty rough, so that’s the reason why the rating changed. (Gives me some room to write Miu/Kokichi’s jokes in the future too haha)  
> \--Screw it, the next chapter is gonna be OmaSai, like 3 chapters is enough of a buffer right?


	7. Shuichi + Kokichi (pt. 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Share the Bed for a Night”  
> “Students: Kokichi Oma, Shuichi Saihara”
> 
> When I said this was a One-Shot collection…I kinda lied. You probably need to read the other OmaSai chapter (Ch 3) in order for this one to make sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Lies, Kokichi makes some sex jokes? Kinda?

                “Shuichi, Shuichi! Let’s play! Let’s play a game! I found a bunch in the closet.” Kokichi grinned tugging the detective’s sleeve in excitement. “The loser has to take a bullet to the chest! But…of course that’s a lie!~ I couldn’t find a gun anywhere.”

                “Kokichi…not today, okay?”

                “Whaaaat? Are you already tired? It’s only eight! We’re in high school!”

                “…I just have a lot on my mind right now…” Shuichi gently tugged his sleeve out of the smaller boy’s fingers before standing up. “I’m going to go take a shower.”

                “Shuuu-chan, don’t tell me you’re still mad about the other dayyyyy.” His voice rose in a sing-song lilt as he tilted his head in mock worry. “I was just playing around…Your life wasn’t actually in danger. Will you forgive little old me if I said sowwy?”

                “Maybe I was a little mad at first…but I’m not mad anymore Kokichi………I’m not angry at you right now……I’m…I’m just disappointed.”

                “Shu—?”

                “Stop. Please.” Shuichi turned toward the bathroom, missing the brief flash of hurt reflected in purple eyes as Kokichi instinctively flinched back in surprise. “I just…I just need some time alone okay?” The washroom door closed with a quiet click.

 

                _Water_

_Plip_

_Plop_

                The water was warm as it poured from the showerhead in a spray of droplets which almost seemed to sparkle as it caught the light.

_Counting today…it’s been a full week since our quest together…_

                Shuichi sighed, letting the water cascade down his face and onto his shoulders.

                _Kokichi’s just acting like nothing happened…he’s just acting like he usually does…Maybe I’m overreacting? No…that’s not it… I just can’t stop thinking about it…but I don’t have enough clues…I…I can’t figure this out…_

                “Ahaha…” He chuckled softly, running a hand through wet hair. “…thinking about it is really taking a toll on my patience…this…this isn’t like me at all…”

                He watched the trails of water as they streamed down his legs, whirling toward the drain.

                _Ah...Kokichi…he probably doesn’t understand why I’m upset…Since we’re here together tonight, maybe I can ask him about it…I probably won’t get a straight answer…but I can at least try…_

                Mind firm with the newfound resolution, he reached for the shampoo, brushing wet hair out of his eyes. “My hair’s getting long…maybe I should cut it sometime…”

~.o.~

                “Sorry for my outburst earlier. Kokichi…do you want to talk?” He glanced around the room in surprise at the sight of the empty bed. “…Kokichi?” The Supreme Leader was nowhere to be found.

                Aside from the small bathroom, the sole place to hide was the bedroom which was only lightly furnished with a desk, a bed, a bookshelf, a bedside table, and a multi-colored rug imprinted with small flowers. Nevertheless, he checked around and behind the furniture, in the closet, under the covers, and back in the bathroom for good measure, gently ruffling the towel through his damp hair as he walked. _Where was he? There was no way he could’ve ran off...there were no doors which led to the outside…_

                After some searching and calling, shrill whistles of the electric kettle filled the air indicating the water he had set on to boil earlier had finished heating. Sighing, Shuichi poured himself a teacup of plain boiled water, staring into the steam for a while before crossing the room to choose a small novel off the bookshelf.

 _1984_ by George Orwell…It sounded almost familiar…perhaps he had read it long ago in school? The memories slipped from his reach as he tried to remember. _Room lights off, lamp on._ Peeling the covers back and propping the pillows up, he placed the teacup down on the bedside table before settling into bed to crack open the cover of the novel.

                The story was about a society of people under constant surveillance by a political party…A political party under the rule of a man only known as “Big Brother.”

_War is Peace_

_Freedom is Slavery_

_Ignorance is Strength_

                Those were the slogans of the political party in the book...strange. He turned them over slowly in his head as he read on about the organization and the shadowy leader controlling the strings. Bizarrely enough…he understood the contradictory slogans a little bit…but, just a little bit.

_The Truth is a Lie_

_The Lie is the Truth_

                Did it make sense? Perhaps…the lie wasn’t *the* truth…but instead, *a* truth?

                …In its own twisted way, the situation in the book paralleled their current one after all. A shady organization…stifled memories…an unknown mastermind behind it all…

_Chapter Eight…_

                He paused with a blink… _How long had he been reading?_

 _12:00 am._ The small clock reported.

                Just as always, it seemed he had lost track of time, letting himself wander around in the world among the yellowed pages. It happened more than he’d care to admit…losing himself in literature to breathe in the musty smells of old paper and nostalgia.

                Sighing, Shuichi gently closed the book and set it on the nightstand beside an empty teacup. As much as he would’ve loved to keep going, there were more important things to do. “…Kokichi…when are you going to come out from under the bed?”

 _Silence_.

                “I’ve known you were down there for a while now, and I wanted to give you some time to think…but if you stay under there for much longer, we’re going to fail this quest.”

 _No Response_.

                Shuichi inhaled deeply, rubbing his temples, “If you don’t want to talk tonight, that’s…fine. But you do need to come out from under there. I’m going to turn off this lamp—I’ll close my eyes and turn away……Kokichi, you really need to come to bed.”

                *Clack* Lifting the duvet over himself, Shuichi settled down into the soft pillows and sighed, staring at the ceiling of the dark room.

                A little while later, a soft creak broke the silence as the bed shifted and a small boy crawled under the covers, turning away from him to face the wall.

_Quiet…the room was quiet…_

                Then, the stillness of the night was broken by the sound of rain splattering upon the roof, by thunderclouds clapping, by bright lightning flashing through the sky window as a storm rumbled outside.

                At every thunderclap Shuichi felt sharp tugs on the bedspread as Kokichi flinched, drawing the blankets tighter and tighter until half of the detective’s body was completely uncovered.

                “Are you…scared of storms?”

                “What kind of Supreme Leader would be scared of something so—ah!” He broke off with a squeak, ducking his head under the covers. “…Okay, so? What are you going to do? Give me a hug? Make it allll better?” he hissed from beneath the duvet, continuing on without a pause, “I guess not huh? Maybe you’ll use it as blackmail against me. Looks like I haven’t perfected the art of stealing hearts; I’ll just have to go back to my first plan, to kill you—”

                Kokichi broke off in stunned silence as Shuichi moved forward, wrapping gentle arms around his waist from behind.

                “What are you doing?!” He gasped, pushing lightly against the embrace.

                “W-what do you mean?” Shuichi blinked, looking down at the top of Kokichi’s head, “You asked me for a hug right? Do…do you want me to stop?”

                “……no.” Kokichi paused before pressing his back softly into the taller boy’s chest. “And that’s not a lie.”

                They lay like that for a while as the storm passed overhead sending flashes of light into the darkened room.

                Finally Shuichi pulled away from the embrace with a heavy sigh. “Okay. Kokichi, what’s wrong?”

                “Whaaat?” The smaller boy turned his head into the pillow with a pout, muffling his words slightly. “I shared my ultimate weakness with you Shuichi and that’s stillllll not enough? Could it be? You want my body too?” Without lifting his head from the pillowcase, he raised a hand to point toward the bedside table, voice mounting in an exaggerated parody of fear. “You know…don’t you? That drawer…the one on the table? It’s filled with sex toys.”

                “W-wh-What?!” Shuichi sputtered, turning to call the prankster’s bluff before remembering Monokuma’s voice with a shudder: _‘Ohhhh, sauuuucccyyyy…’_ Yeah…that probably wasn’t a lie…

                “Y’know…if you’re into some craaaazy kinks, even I won’t be able to keep up.”

                “Kokichi…” He groaned, pressing his hands to his face before regaining his composure enough to pull the conversation back on track. “That’s not what I meant. I’m serious. What’s wrong?”

                “Y'know…the fear of storms often comes from traumatic events. I wasn’t going to tell you this, but my childhood wasn’t the greatest—”

                “Kokichi. I know you aren’t scared of storms.”

                “…Denying my childhood trauma? Ooooh, are you playing bad cop?” His voice slid up an octave with a suggestive lilt. “Is this some sort of foreplay?”

                “Stop. Kokichi. Stop. Just stop!” Shuichi’s eyes narrowed as he moved away, voice tight with anger. “Do you think I’m stupid? You’re _fucking_ shaking Kokichi. You’ve been shaking this whole time—you’re still shaking right now. And you what?! The storm passed by ten minutes ago. Ten. Minutes. Ago. I know…I know you don’t trust me, but at least respect me enough not to think you can fool me with such bad acting. You know what? While I’m talking, I might as well tell you. Out of all your lies, your fake crying is the worst. Everyone can tell when you’re shedding crocodile tears. So that’s why, that’s why I believed you that day in the church…because those tears were real. If you weren’t scared of dying…why were those tears real? That’s what I’ve been trying to figure out all week….But you know what?! I can’t do it. I’m not the Ultimate Psychologist or an empath, I’m just a detective, and a pretty sad excuse for a detective at that. No matter how much I want to, I can’t read your mind! So that’s why, that’s why you need to talk to me Kokichi!”

                …

 _Perhaps that had been too much…too harsh…_ He winced, glancing over for a reaction only to pause incredulously at the light snores which filled the air. _Kokichi…really fell asleep through that?_

                There was a chance the leader was acting…but either way, Shuichi wasn’t going to rouse him. Taking a few deep breaths to regain his composure, he leaned over the slumbering boy, pulling the covers up to warm his small form. As his hand brushed over the top of the pillow case, Shuichi’s eyes briefly widened.

_Ah…it’s wet._

                Gently, he lifted Kokichi’s head, supporting his neck with a firm hand as he flipped the pillow over to the dry side. His purple hair was soft, and he smelled a bit like lavender…

                “It’s…okay,” Shuichi couldn’t help but whisper to the air as he settled back down on his side of the bed, looking up at the dark ceiling. “I’ll wait…I’ll wait until you’re ready…to talk to me.” _No matter how long it takes…_

                Without the artificial flashes of light brought on by the storm, the cloudy night through the sky window was dark, perfectly matching the interior of the room with all the lights off.

                The darkness was soft.

                The darkness was warm and comforting.

                The voice was quiet, even in the silence. It was barely a whisper.

                “…I was scared Shuichi…Scared because I realized…maybe I hadn’t stolen your heart after all…that maybe…maybe you stole mine.”

                The skies outside shifted in hues of inky black and indigo, mixing into the dark backdrop of night.

                “I didn’t want to trust you…because I know…I know it’ll hurt so much when you betray me. When you break that promise.”

                All around them, the room was silent but for the quiet sounds of gentle breaths wisping into the darkness.

                “So why…? Even knowing that…Why do I want to trust you so much that it hurts?”

                Shadowy clouds drifted through the sky, gently parting in favor of the round moon. Its pale face flowered with soft light which streamed through the glass panes of the sky window, casting delicate moonlight upon the sheets.

                “Do you regret it? Taking my hand that day?”

                “Yes……but that’s a lie.” Kokichi turned toward him, and for the first time that night, Shuichi could see his glassy purple eyes, the teardrops trailing down his face as he bit his trembling lip. His small body shook with silent sobs, hair plastered to his face with tears. “…Why… is it a lie?”

                “…Kokichi…I-I won’t break it, that promise…” He gently exhaled, opening his arms slightly in a silent invitation. “So…it’s okay, trust me a little… I won’t hurt you.”

                _That’s a lie Shuichi…trusting you…it'll hurt………but even knowing that…_

                A moment of hesitation…then he slowly inched forward into the embrace, clutching the front of Shuichi’s shirt as the detective gently wrapped warm arms around his small, shaking body.

                “It’s okay…It’s okay Kokichi. I won’t break my promise…I won’t leave you…I’m here…I’m here for you. I’m here…” The soft, reassuring words drifted lazily through the air as Kokichi gradually relaxed into his grasp. “You aren’t alone…I’m here…I’ll stay here with you…” The shaking slowly stopped as his small body grew loose and pliable in steady arms.

                “Thank you…for talking to me Kokichi.” Shuichi smiled as he tenderly brushed the wet hair from Kokichi’s face before pressing his lips to the small boy’s forehead in a gentle kiss. “You…don’t have to hide from me.”

                “I can’t believe this…” Kokichi shifted his head to look up with half lidded eyes, voice drowsy with fatigue. “I let my guard down for one second and you start taking advantage of me. You know…I’m not that strong. If you’re too rough, you might break me.”

                “W-What?” Shuichi sputtered, moving to release his hug and scoot back before yelping in surprise as Kokichi grabbed him tightly around the waist, burying his face into the detective’s chest.

                “Nishishishi…night, Shumai…” his muffled, drowsy laughter trailed away as he nodded off, arms relaxing into a loose embrace.

                “Ah…of course,” Shuichi sighed in relief, draping his arms around Kokichi’s sleeping form once again. With the gentle moonlight streaming through the window illuminating his soft purple hair, light skin, and small frame, he almost looked like an angel instead of a mischievous imp…almost.

                Tomorrow Kokichi would probably deny everything he said tonight, waving it off as an elaborate ruse, but for now…it was peaceful and warm, holding him like this.

                Shuichi smiled softly as he allowed himself to sink into the pillows and into sleep.

                “Goodnight Kokichi.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Shuichi drinks plain boiled water like a scrub…jk, boiled water is actually pretty good for you, and it’s p normal, just not in the US  
> -Fun fact about this chapter: I felt so fucking guilty after writing the first OmaSai chapter that I wrote this one like the.same.day. bc I couldn’t stop thinking about it haha.  
> -Orwell is THE BEST author. I was lowkey gonna use Animal Farm bc that’s one of my absolute fav books of all time (just, don’t read it for the first time in school, bc any book you read in school becomes instant garbage in your head), but 1984 has some odd parallels to Danganronpa…Shuichi is totally a book nerd and you know it.  
> -Man…I am really pushing the “Romantic or Platonic” tag aren’t I? Ah well, can’t be helped~  
> -Kokichi either smells like lavender or grape soda, there is no other acceptable headcanon. Honestly he probably smells like grape soda though ahaha.
> 
> -Aha, I can’t believe so many people have read this lil fic collection already! I’ve never had people enjoy my work that much before <3 Hopefully reading these silly little chapters makes you happy bc they make me happy when I write them, hehe. It’s just so fun, I don’t wanna stop anytime soon! See ya next chapter! Kisses~ SarIIon


	8. ((Author's Notes))

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Not a real chapter~Just me talking to you on a small update!

Yahaa! Heya! Thanks for reading this hehe <3

 

Essentially, I have a tiny lil surprise! From now on, whenever I feel super inspired, I'm going to be doing some tiny lil doodles for certain chapters. Hehe, I'm positively awful @ perspective, but I think some concept sketches for some of the rooms will really help with understanding what's happening bc you can't exactly look around and get your bearings like in the games!

 

I drew a couple sketches for Chapter 5 (Kaede+Shuichi) to test it out and I kinda like it. BUT before I show you...you can't judge okay? Eek, I'm pretty terrible @ drawing in general and the perspective is defo _awful and super wonky_. But it gets the job done...hopefully?

 

 <<< So this is kinda how I imagined the room would look like. A spotlight on a circular stage, and there's steps which go up to the stage. (those're suposed to be rose petals and not blood...yeah...)

 

  * In the future, I won't be making another "Author's Notes" chapter to update whenever I make more doodles. I'm hosting the images on deviantart, So I'll just throw the pictures in the DA folder and you can check out the full size versions there!
  * Here's the link: <https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/gallery/69318142/Monokuma-s-Quests-Fanfic>



 

Ah! Second order of business! I always make a point to ask for constructive criticism on my writing, and I don't think I've done that yet on this fic! So, If you have any constructive critiques for me to improve on, let me know! (Anon comments/PMs on DA are totally cool, I don't mind @ all!) >>> And I guess if ya want, you can also leave me critiques on my art (but be gentle ahhh, I'm not an artist)

  * Oh! Someone asked me where they should be commenting suggestions, and you can totally do it on any chapter! I promise, I'll read them all hehe, I get a notification anyways whenever anyone comments, so don't worry, I won't miss any of them no matter what chapter you post the comment on!



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe! Thanks for reading! See ya next chapter! :D
> 
> (Hopefully this wasn't absolutely hyper and delirous, um, where I live irl, it's been raining ALL WEEK and like I love, love rain, but I can't go outside and do anything! My energy has just been building up like crazy and I guess writing is the outlet for now, Haha. I've been told it's infectuous, so sorry! :)


	9. Kokichi + Nagito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Camp in the Woods for a Night”  
> “Students: Kokichi Oma, Nagito Komaeda”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Drugs, Firearm, Manipulation, Lies (it’s Kokichi, lol)

                “The door will appear in this clearing in the morning. But don’t even think about trying to camp close to here. You’ll regret it!” The bear’s echoing laugh spilled from the crackly loudspeaker mounted camp-style on a tall wooden pole. “It’s just so dry in this particular clearing…if someone ‘accidentally’ dropped a lit match on some gasoline, the whole area would go up in flames! Puhuhu!” And with that parting message, the intercom clicked off leaving the two boys to look over the camping supplies piled on a weather-worn picnic bench in the middle of the grassy area.

                “No need to come here to light that fire! I can do that for you Monokuma! Having arsony experience is a basic qualification of being a Supreme Leader you know!” Kokichi cupped his hands around his mouth to amplify the volume of his shout.

_No answer._

                “My offer stands!” Grinning with impish energy, he turned away from the loudspeaker to glance over the other boy who was examining the precarious mountain of gear heaped haphazardly upon the table. The white haired student was definitely older than him by a few years and had the height advantage; however the oversized olive jacket fluttering in the slight breeze did nothing to disguise how thin his frame was. _Messing with him…it could be fun._  He turned to greet the stranger with a smile. “I’m Kokichi Oma, the Ultimate Supreme Leader!”

                "…I'm Nagito Komaeda. Nice to meet you—"

                “Ooohhh, that’s such a cool name! Nagito…I like it! Give it to me!”

                “But…then people will associate you with scum like—”

                “Just kidding! I like my name too much to change it. It fits with my evil image y’know?” He grinned, rummaging through the pile, “I like you Nagito, you’re cool. But you need to prove yourself before you can be my friend!

                “Your…friend?”

                “Y-you don’t want to? You don’t want to be my friend?” Kokichi spun around with tear filled eyes, dramatically pasting on a devastated face and pulling his voice up into a sob “Whaaaaa…Whhhaaaaeeeeouueeeeeaaaaaaaaa, Nagito doesn’t want to be friends with me! Ahhhhhhh—”

                “No…I never…”

                “So…you *do* want to be friends?” He broke off the act abruptly, spinning around with glee, “Nee-heehee! Then you have to pass the test! My usual method is to have the candidate play Russian Roulette with six bullets in the chamber…buuuut, ah, it’s too bad, we don’t have a revolver…Don’t worry though! I’ll think of something else!”

                Nagito's eyes flitted over the pile, blinking at the familiar sight of a metal barrel glinting in the sunlight among the tent poles, canvas bags, and coolers on the table. “This is…”

                “Wow, look! There’s an animal trap here, we should totally trap something for dinner! Maybe rabbit would taste good? I’ve never had it but—”

                “Okay…We’ll be friends if I do this right?” Metal clacks sounded through the air as Nagito picked up the revolver and spun the fully loaded cylinder before raising it to his head.

                Kokichi’s eyes widened as he whirled around just in time to watch Nagito’s finger press down upon the trigger.

                *Clic—* The revolver made a dull hitching sound, and when Kokichi finally opened one eye, Nagito was grinning widely, spinning the cylinder again.

                “Ah, sorry! Looks like it got stuck, I can do it another time if you’d like? Do you require a best two out of three?”

                “…No, that’s fine!” Kokichi chirped, a large smile spreading across his face as he reached over, plucking the revolver from Nagito’s hand to reengage the safety. “I may be a Supreme Leader, but I’m not Hitler. Well, ya passed my test, so we can be friends now!”

                “I can’t believe it…being friends with an Ultimate as amazing as you…I’m not worthy…” His voice trailed off dreamily before he managed to tear his gaze away from his right hand to give Kokichi a happy grin. "I'm the Ultimate Lucky Student… At least, that's what I'm called anyway.”

                “Luck…huh?” Kokichi’s voice rose in excitement, violet eyes sparkling as he pointed toward the trap, “Let’s do it! I wanna eat rabbit for dinner!”

~.o.~

                “Yaaaay! We caught one!” His excited shriek sent a flock of birds flying from the trees nearby as it echoed through the forest. And indeed, the small wooden box trap they had set up earlier between a few bushes now housed a small brown rabbit.

                “That’s good. You want to make stew with it, right?” Nagito puffed, coming up behind him slightly out of breath from all the walking they’d been doing through the woods.

                “Yeah, soup is great!” Kokichi grinned, lifting the wooden trap to his eyes to peer inside. “It’s gonna get dark soon. I’m not worried about that, but I don’t want _you_ to get scared Nagito, so let’s pick a spot to set up camp for the night!”

                After choosing a small clearing on higher ground toward the top of a larger hill, they began attempting to assemble the tent, unzipping the canvas bag to sort through wads of thick fabric and metal poles.

                “Nagito!” Kokichi’s sudden yelp of panic broke through the silence causing the other boy to spin around. “The rabbit! It’s escaping!”

                And sure enough, by the time Nagito turned to the direction Kokichi was pointing, the rabbit was a blur of chocolate brown bounding toward the tree line.

                "How did—"

                “We have to catch it!” Kokichi shouted, grabbing Nagito’s hand to pull him into a sprint.

                Pine needles skidded underfoot as they dashed through the tall trees, sending birds fluttering out of their rampant path through the woods.

                “I think I saw it go this way!”

                They turned at the bend of a large boulder, shooting left around a patch of wild blueberries before shifting to the right at a massive fairy ring of enormous white-capped mushrooms.

                “I saw it heading that way!” Kokichi excitedly pointed toward the rushing waters of a small tributary, yanking the taller boy behind him as he ran along the riverbank, jumping over stones and fallen logs.

                “Ko…huff…ki…huff…chi…” Nagito wheezed, struggling to keep up with the frantic pace set by the smaller boy whose hand was tightly clamped around his wrist. "wait…huff…I…"

                And then they were falling. Someone’s foot had caught against a thick patch of the uneven river-side grasses sending them both sprawling into the plush carpet of wild clover and dandelion.

                The fall knocked out any remaining breath they had, and they lay there for a while in the grass, letting the heavy sounds of panting fill the silence. Eventually Nagito struggled to his feet, head spinning as he did his best to control weak knees.

                “It’s okay, just sit down.” Kokichi remarked with amusement, watching the taller boy stumble around like a newborn giraffe.

                “The rabbit—” He broke off coughing, gasping for air as he reached for a nearby tree trunk to steady himself.

                “Don’t worry about it!” The leader cheerfully assured, leaping up to grab Nagito and help him sit down among the tree roots. “We couldn’t eat it anyways! Cuz I’m a vegetarian!”

                “Huff…Huff…I see…Huff...” He closed his eyes, leaning back against the tree trunk, chest heaving.

                “I don’t have any water, but you should drink this.” Kokichi twisted the cap off a bottle of grape soda before holding toward Nagito.

                “That’s not a good idea…huff…” He winced against the pounding in his head. Sugary liquids really threw off the precarious balance his body naturally maintained.

                “B-b-but this is my favorite drink!” Kokichi let the smile slip off his face, lip trembling as he turned to the taller boy with puppy dog eyes, “I smuggled it in here, and I wanted to share it with you because you’re my new friend! It’s kind of like a brotherhood cup! Wait...Was that a lie?! You really don’t want to be my friend?”

                “It wasn’t a lie. Huff…D-don’t cry… Am I making you cry? If so…I wish I could die from self-loathing...”

                “Then you’ll drink it?!”

                Purple eyes shined with golden flecks what looked like hope as they stared into his olive ones… _How much sugar did this have? He’d have to be careful with what he ate later…_

                “Yes, Kokichi, I’m glad to be your friend.” Doing his best to maintain a smile, Nagito brought the bottle to his lips, managing to down half the sugary liquid before his gag reflex kicked in and forced him to shakily hand back the container. “We…should get back to camp.”

                “Yeah! You’re right!” Kokichi grinned, stowing the Panta back into his pocket before reaching forward to pull Nagito to his feet. “I don’t remember the way back though…that’s a lie! It’s this way, come on!”

~.o.~

                “Ah, I’m sorry I wasn’t much help setting up the tent…” Nagito sighed in apology, pressing a hand to the back of his neck. For some reason, ever since they’d returned to the camp site, his head felt cottony, and his shaking hands kept dropping tent poles until Kokichi had finally shooed him away from the work space.

                “It’s fine, it wasn’t anything a Supreme Leader couldn’t handle.” The shorter boy grinned, zipping the tent closed as he crawled inside to flop onto his sleeping bag across from Nagito. “I wanted to roast marshmallows, but it’s starting to rainnnnnnn.”

                “I’m sorry…that would be the negative side of the luck cycle…”

                “…Well, I’ll forgive you if you make it up to me!” Kokichi pouted as the rain picked up outside, lashing against the sturdy tent canvas with ferocity. “Tell me scary stories! We’re camping after all!”

                “Scary stories…” Nagito hummed in thought, glancing down at his hand, “Well…the other day I had a nightmare which was similar to the situation right now…all the Ultimates were confronted by crushing despair…And it was such a good opportunity for hope to grow that I got goosebumps just thinking about it…” His vision seemed to swim before him as he struggled to recall the details. “It was such a good opportunity…but then no one acted…They all just…gave up…and a useless guy like me couldn’t do anything to help. I lost to _her_ …the one I hate the most…Heh, heh…hahahahahahaha…”

                He broke off as the lantern light in the tent seemed to dull and flicker. The inside of the space blurring despite his best efforts to focus his vision. “Kokichi…I might have to finish this story later…I’m not feeling too—” The words trailed off as he collapsed, body falling heavily into his sleeping bag with a muted thud.

                “No worries!” Kokichi cheerfully grinned toward Nagito’s prone form. Tugging a rain jacket over his clothing, he stood up and slipped outside, zipping the tent closed behind him. “You don’t need to finish the story…You already scared me plenty!”

                The spot they happened to choose to make camp was only a few minutes’ walk from the edge of a sheer ravine. Vicious wind ripped at his jacket as he glanced over the precipice at the turgid river hundreds of miles below rushing rapidly with rainwater.

_High ground…They might’ve been in trouble if they’d chosen a different place to spend the night. That good luck of his…it was handy wasn’t it?_

                “See…Nagito…for a brotherhood cup to be a symbol of trust…both people need to drink from it.” He swirled the half empty bottle of grape soda in his hand, watching as raindrops collected on the plastic surface before sliding off at an angle dictated by the wind. “Kaede always complains about the strong flavor…but it really comes in handy for masking the taste of sedatives…”

                Holding his arm over the ravine, he uncurled his fingers slowly, watching as the bottle plummeted out of sight to disappear into the hurtling waters below. The revolver tucked into the waistband of his pants ever since the incident that morning shortly followed—this second object, he threw into the darkness below with ferocity.

~.o.~

                “Are you feeling well? You look tired.”

                “Um, excuse me? The bags under my eyes are designer?!” Kokichi pouted, dramatically pressing a hand to his heart in mock pain. “I’m just sore, the ground was hard.”

                “Ah, you should’ve taken my sleeping bag. I wouldn’t have minded sleeping on the ground.” Nagito frowned slightly, twirling a strand of white hair between his fingers.

                “It’s fine, I didn’t even think about that,” Kokichi waved his hand dismissively as they walked toward the door which had appeared in the clearing where they’d arrived. “I fell asleep right after you. I’ll be fine; I probably slept like ten hours!”

                “I’m so glad.” Nagito smiled gently, and Kokichi returned a wide, toothy grin.

 

 

 

_Kokichi Oma was a liar._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I really wanted to do this interaction, so I’m removing the “kinda canon compliant” tag! You can make cross game pairing requests if you want! They might be a little off, but I’ll try my best <3
> 
> -If you were wondering what the hell was with Kokichi’s fake crying, you should defo search up “Kokichi crying” and listen to the audio clip, it’s hilarious ahaha, I had NO idea how to translate that into text so I did my best~  
> -Didn’t get what happened? Kokichi drugged the Panta. Orally taken sedatives usually take 30-60 min to kick in. Essentially Kokichi bit off a bit more than he could chew with Nagito's craziness, so he made sure Nagito wouldn't be able to do anything to him...yet...how can you sleep next to some hope-obsessed maniac you barely know who nonchalantly shot a fully loaded revolver at his own head in the first 5 minutes you met him?  
> -“Why is there a gun and sedatives?” You ask? >> Why wouldn’t there be a gun and sedatives? It’s camping, and Monokuma’s alignment is fucking Chaotic Evil.  
> -The next chapter is a short bonus chapter of a fluffy interaction after this quest, huzzah!


	10. (Bonus) Kaede + Kokichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter: No Quest in this chapter, a small bonus of the events the morning after the last chapter. You might have to read Ch9 for this to make sense!

 “K-Kaede?” Kokichi’s tired eyes widened as the pianist grabbed his hand, dragging him behind the school building to a small, hidden alcove filled with grass and colorful wild plants. It was out of view of any of the outside paths and far enough away from the main building that anyone inside would be unlikely to hear any calls for help. “So early in the morning? I won’t be able to walk for the rest of the day~” His suggestive rambles did nothing to disguise the slight nervous edge to his voice as he watched her unroll a picnic blanket under a tall maple tree.

                Sitting down and leaning heavily against the side of the trunk, Kaede rolled her eyes, patting the blanket next to her.

                “I’m allergic to maple trees…” Kokichi turned to walk away before she reached up and grabbed his hand, pulling him gently onto the blanket.

                “That’s a lie, Kokichi. I saw you tying Tenko’s hair ribbons in the branches of the maple tree in front of the school yesterday.”

                “Nishishishi, ya got me Kaydayyy!”

                Sighing, Kaede pulled a spiral bound notebook from her backpack followed by a pencil and a small 2 octave electronic keyboard. “Kokichi, I brought you out here so you could take a nap.”

                Kokichi blinked before grinning and leaping up to dash away “Sleep is for the weak!”

                “Sleep is for the living.” Kaede corrected, pulling him back down. “Look, I know you didn’t sleep at all last night…you almost face planted into your cinnamon toast crunch this morning. Was the guy you completed the quest with that weird?”

                “I just…didn’t trust him. What a bizzaro.”

                “You couldn’t see through his lies?” She glanced up from her notebook curiously.

                “No…he…wasn’t lying…” He shuddered, flopping onto the blanket with a pout as she marked out a treble clef on the lined pages with her pencil. “Got any snacks?”

                “Mmmm,” She hummed in affirmation, pointing at her backpack.

                “Whaaaat? Milk? Not soda? Do you even know me at all Kayyydayyyyy?”

                “You have to drink your milk to grow.” She shot him a stern glance before turning on the keyboard and pressing a few keys.

                “You’re not my mom! I already have one.” He pouted, viciously stabbing the straw into the chocolate milk before taking a sip.

                “Well, Kirumi told me this was your favorite kind.” Kaede smirked.

                “That’s playing dirty! How dare you gather intel on me!” He chewed his thumbnail lightly in anger. “Treason! I’ll have to punish her for betraying me!”

                “You can do that after you take a nap. You can barely keep your eyes open right now…And this morning you looked like you were about to fall over.”

                He stifled a yawn. “I’m not that tired. And I was perfectly fine this morning!” 

                “You almost hugged Angie instead of Shuichi… you barely responded to any of Miu’s taunts…and you grabbed Korekiyo’s hair instead of a waffle.” She raised an eyebrow, looking at him with disbelief. “Yeah…you’re pretty out of it.”

                “Hmmph,” Kokichi puffed, turning away from her to angrily sip on his chocolate milk, “And just so you know…that last one wasn’t a mistake. I wanted to see what burning hair smelled like.”

                “You could’ve just asked Tsumugi…I bet she has some human hair wigs. If you want, I could probably ask her to give me a small snip off a longer one or something.”

                “That’s borrrringgggggg.”

                “Well does Korekiyo coming after you with a knife sound fun?”

                “…Do you think he’d really do that?”

                “Have you seen his room?”

                “…True…”

“Settle down and get some rest Kokichi.”

                “Again, you’re not my mom!” Nevertheless, he rolled onto his back with an exaggerated sigh, staring up at the shifting leaves above them through heavy eyelids.

 

                “It’s not perfect…but it’s getting there.” Kaede hummed with satisfaction as she flipped through the lined pages, mentally reviewing the notes. She’d been working on the composition ever since the first day of their school experience, and finally, the melody sounded about right. The flat key additions to the soft lullaby added the ideal touch of the lightest melancholy. _Perfect_.

                Propping the notebook open against the tree trunk, she gently set her fingers on the keyboard and began to play. The wind seemed to spring to life, rustling the leaves around them and her hair as her hands danced across the keys.

 

                _When the wind blows across this blue glass sky,_

_I want you to know you’re safe and sound here,_

_With me by your side._

_Grasp my hand firmly,_

_I’ll hold you through the night._

_And when tomorrow finally comes on a breeze of golden light,_

_We’ll both wake up together,_

_And realize we’re alright._

 

                As her fingers hit the loudest notes of a crescendo, the rippling breeze around them whipped across the alcove sending her small notebook flying through the air.

                “Ah!” She leapt up to retrieve it from the corner it had blown into, carefully examining the score for damage. Aside from the cover being a little dustier, the pages inside were mostly intact. “Thank goodness…Hey Kokichi? Maybe we should go back inside after all…it’s a little windy. …Kokichi?”

                At the lack of response, she turned toward the boy, slipping into a wide grin at the sight of his sleeping form. His purple hair fluttered lightly in the dying breeze, eyes serenely closed and arms spread apart like a little starfish hugging a rock. _Finally_. Pulling a thicker blanket from her backpack, she carefully draped it over him, covering his small body before sitting back down on the blanket to play another song.

“I guess even gremlins run out of energy eventually.” She hummed contently, wiggling her fingers as she poised them over the small keyboard, “What to play…what to play…a two octave challenge could be fun…What to choose though? Something which would sound beautiful transposed even with note changes…Ah, of course.”

Around them the wind dulled down to a lazy breeze as a gentle, soft melody filled the air, echoing the peaceful atmosphere of a warm summer afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \- Kaede’s backpack: a bag of infinite holding oohhhhhhhh *cues magic sound effects*  
> -Headcanon: Kokichi likes sugary things like cinnamon toast crunch and refuses to drink any type of milk other than chocolate milk, the gremlin image is real ahaha. I’m sorry this chapter was such a meme.  
> \- Kaede’s song was just a poem I made up on the spot. I think it fits the atmosphere nicely. It doesn’t have to be about Kokichi, it could be about her feelings on the situation in general~ Oh! Even better, her song doesn't have lyrics bc it's classical music, but the poem is how the song makes you feel!  
> \---Random Rambles: 2 Octave electric keyboards highkey don’t exist tho…so like all I can think of is Kaede playing one of those shitty plastic toy pianos bc it fits in her backpack. Ohhh, or even better, she just pulls out a full sized, massive keyboard out of her tiny backpack and it doesn’t make any sense but everyone just shrugs and goes with it XD


	11. Miu + Ryoma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Share the One Thing You don’t Want Anyone to Know”  
> “Students: Miu Iruma, Ryoma Hoshi”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Underage Drinking, Alcohol, Vomiting, Miu, Innuendos galore, They talk about sex (Mentioned non-con), Implied Dark themes
> 
> -“Don’t drink the Kool-Aid” : A reference to the mass poisonings of hundreds of cult members in Jonestown to commit 'revolutionary suicide'  
> -“42”: A reference to “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” a kinda old sci-fi book

                Ryoma glanced around the room with mild interest, noting the large pool table and dartboard were strikingly similar to those in the recreation room of the jail. The games were where the similarities ended, however. Hanging precariously from the ceiling above the green-velvet inlaid pool table was a massive crystal chandelier which reflected sparkling light around the room. The carpet was thick and soft underfoot, and across from two plush chairs against the left wall was a small corner bar, the shelves behind the counter filled with colorful bottles of various sizes.

                “Hoo-yeah!” The sudden, loud outburst brought his attention to the other student in the room as the blonde haired girl rummaged through the fridge behind the bar. “There’s ice too? I’m gonna get waaaaasted toniiiiiight!”

                Sighing, he approached Miu with tired steps _. As the older one…he should probably make an effort to be a role model…_ “Miu, you know we’re both underage.”

                “Screw that, don’t start pussyfooting me Ryoma,” She turned to him with a large grin, “Hah! You were probably drinking all kinds of shit every night in the slammer!”

                "Instead of saying a bunch of vulgar things, why not use your brain a little?"

                "Fuck that! I'm Miu fuckin' Iruma and I'll say whatever I goddamn fuckin' want!" She threw him a middle finger before whirling around and pulling a tray of large, spherical ice cubes from the freezer. “And tonight, I say we’re gonna see stars from all the booze! I’m getting all wet just thinking about it, but then again, I’m always wet so that’s not saying much.”

                “…Some thoughts are best left unspoken…” He frowned, scanning the room for any signs of a way out. _Nothing._

                "Hey, I'm just sayin' what I'm already thinkin'! Nothin' I say is wasted words!" Her grin widened, eyebrows arcing into a sly expression. “The thought of my helpless body is enough to make a virgin cum in his pants! Sadly for you, this girl genius has a super high alcohol tolerance!”

                _Well…he tried._ Dragging a barstool behind the counter, Ryoma briefly scanned the shelves of alcohol before climbing onto the chair in order to grab two thick glass bottles of vodka. Doing his best to drown out Miu’s _several_ comments relating his height to the size of something else, he rummaged through the drawers for a bottle opener. _This…was going to be a long night._

~.o.~

                "We may be trapped, but it's pretty cool here. Compared to prison anyway...”  Ryoma trailed off as he refilled his glass for the fifth time. His head was beginning to feel woolen from the concentrated alcohol, ears sending occasional buzzing rings to interrupt his thoughts. “There’s no good alcohol there…just the moonshine which gets smuggled in every so often…"

                “Hyah-hahahahaha! You’re pretty funny for a hopeless virgin!” Miu giggled hysterically, downing the rest of the liquid in her glass before slamming it on the bar top. " Because I, Miu Iruma, the gorgeous girl genius, think you aren’t half bad, I’ll give ya a warning. Y’know Angie? Don’t drink any Kool-Aid she offers you…That fuckin' midget… Atua this, Atua that…She’s totally running some goddamn cult! I mean, if there reaaaally was a god… He'd obviously make me, the gorgeous girl genius, his chosen one! Hah-hahaha! That kooky fuckin' bitch!"

                Despite his best efforts to avoid her by choosing to sit at the furthest possible bar stool, almost immediately, after grabbing an armful of colorful bottles, Miu had plopped down right beside him, chatting up a storm as she splashed alcohol haphazardly into a shaker. He couldn’t tell if there was any method to her madness, but the resulting cocktails were always disturbingly bright neon concoctions as she poured them over ice.

                "Miu…I clearly don’t have as much drinking experience as you…” He finally sighed, setting down his glass to give her a pointed look, “But I'm not so stupid that I can’t tell you’re drinking your cocktails out of a beer stein…"

                “Drinking’s not the only area you’re lacking in experience. Hah-hahahahaha!” She chortled at her own joke, reaching across the counter to grab a more traditional glass. “And Duh-doy! The sad, dumpy beta who invented cocktail glasses sure could’ve used a pair! Look, they barely hold anything!” Decanting some of her drink into the small glass in demonstration, she swirled it around in the air before shoving it toward him. “Well, since I already poured it, give it a try!”

                “I don’t have a reason to live…but I don’t have an active death wish.” He frowned, eyeing the unnaturally fluorescent blue circulating in the glass.

                “Hey! The ‘Blue Baller’ is one of my greatest inventions!” She pouted, shoving the cocktail into his hands. “The secret ingredients? Red Bull and caffeine shots! It shoots you with so much energy it could probably cure erectile dysfunction forever! Bye bye Viagra!”

                If that was what was in the blue one…he really didn’t care to find out what she had mixed into the highlighter orange cocktail she’d downed earlier. _She probably wouldn’t leave him alone until he tried this stuff…_ Grimacing against every nerve in his body screaming not to drink the hellish blue concoction, he gingerly brought the glass up to his lips to take a small sip.

                “It’s…not bad…” Despite the dubious mix of ingredients, the cocktail was surprisingly light, leaving a slightly sweet but refreshing aftertaste on the tongue.

                “Hyah-hahahahaha! I know, I know... Beauty *and* brains *and* barista skills? You wish you could shove me against a wall and fuck me right now, don’t you?!"

                Groaning, Ryoma set the empty cocktail glass on the counter and turned to take another swig of vodka. _He was way too sober for this._

~.o.~

                “The one thing you don’t want anyone to know…” He trailed off watching the low lights reflected on aluminum shift as he swirled the metal cylinder. “…wonder if we’ll die of alcohol poisoning before we’re ready to shaaare…”

                Empty cans of beer caught the dimmed light of the chandelier, reflecting muted speckles onto the dark wood of the bar top. Sometime in the night, they had switched off the stronger stuff to work on the chilled six packs in the fridge…probably because it was getting harder to open bottles with the bottle opener due to a lack of coordination…

                “I still have it.” Miu’s voice had dropped to a normal conversational volume, and the statement was brief but direct, thrown out as she stirred the shrinking ice ball around her cup, avoiding his eyes.

                “Have…it?”

                “I still have my fuckin’ V-card okay?!  ………O-of course guys are all over me!—who wouldn’t cream their pants at the thought this busty beauty—but… I-I don’t know…I just…haven’t found anyone who makes me explode with excitement at the thought of a future together.”

                “Mmm…” Ryoma drowsily murmured, watching the metal bracelet tumble from Miu’s wrist and fall to the ground. “It looksss like you completed the quest...”

                “Y-you could at least look a little more surprised! You act like you aren’t a sad, tiny, little virgin!……W-wait! No way!” She stuttered, spinning around to shake him roughly by the shoulders, sending beer flying through the air. “Y-you’ve done it with someone else?! Realllly?”

                “…”

                “O-oh, duuuuude I’m sorry…” She wilted, trailing off in an uncharacteristically long silence, “Jail huh? Heard it’s rough…lots of creeps who’re into takin’ firsts.”

                “I…don’t count them.” He groaned softly, discarding his empty beer can and cracking open a fresh bottle of vodka before taking a long swig straight from the container. The alcohol barely had a taste anymore, merely leaving a numb sting as it slid down his throat.

                “Woah! You were getting action even before the slammer?! I’d love to meet the flat chested bitch who was desperate enough to hit that!”

                “…You shouldn’t speak ill of the dead.”

                “W-Wait…do you have a corpse fetish? Woah! I mean, I’m a freak in the sheets, but I can’t believe you were thirsty enough to resort to necroph—”

                Ryoma’s black eyes were cold and fierce as he stood on the counter, towering above her—the vodka bottle tilted upside down in his hand sending a deluge of clear alcohol pouring onto her head. The cold liquid instantly cascaded over her face, soaking into her blouse and skirt before dripping down the fabric to puddle on the floor.

                "Wh-What the hell…?”  Miu grimaced, picking at the sopping clothing now plastered to her skin, “If you wanted to make my upper half as wet as my lower half—”

                *Smash*

                She broke off with a startle, whirling around to catch sight of an empty vodka bottle crashing into the chandelier halfway across the room, shattering into jagged shards which caught the light briefly before plunging down to impale themselves into the green velvet of the pool table.

                “Y-you……You motherfucker! That was dangerous! What if you hit me?! If my brain was damaged, the world would never recover!” Spinning around, she stood up, yanking Ryoma’s small body off the bar top by his lapels.

                “They killlled her because I loved her…So…I killed them…” His voice trailed off as he did his best not to slur words together, “I'm warning you. Ishh dangerous to provoke a killer like me."

                “…K-killed?” The surprised expression on her face lasted a second before she quickly replaced it with anger, tightening her fists in his jacket. “Well now I’m soaked, and I’ll catch a cold if I don’t change soon. So what are you waiting for? Hurry up and share your secret so we can leave! What? Do you think your tiny dick is going to grow if you wait or something?”

                “…”

                “Okay, you have some sort of tragic backstory…so what?!” She hissed through gritted teeth, narrowing steel blue eyes. “So did fuckin' Batman! Do you see him throwing his life away and wanting to die?! You’ve got fuckin’ problems just like the rest of the fuckin’ world! Poor widdle Ryoma, wallllowing in self pity. Okay… yerrr girlfriend is dead, so what?! Do you regret hanging out with her? Do you regret fucking her? Do you regret feeling alive with her? Y’know, that’s the one thing my inventions will never be able to do. You can’t bring back the dead. Once someone’s gone, their ssshhitty mortal life is over. Yeah life has problems, but it’s one of a kind—just like moi! Face those problems and grow a pair! Stop running away!”

                “…” He shifted his glance down to the floor to avoid her eyes, ceasing any attempts to free himself from her grasp as she shook his body in the air.

                “Did you hear me?! Stop running away!”

                “…”

                "Kh…This bullshit is a waste of my precious time and energy." Frowning with annoyance, she roughly set him back down on the ground, turning her attention to her dripping shirt. "My inventionssss’ll change the world… They'll make the world a better place! It’sss my duty as a genius inventor! S-So I can't afford to die here. Hurry up and get your shit together Ryoma so we can leeeave."

                He silently turned to walk away, heading toward the chair in the far corner of the room with shaky steps as Miu did her best to wring vodka out of the pink blouse. “The skirt isn't as wet, but if I stay in this shirt much longer…I-I really might catch a cold, might as well just take it off for now……Man…this vodka’s gonnaaaa be harder to get out than a cum stain…I wonder which detergent—”

                *Whump* She turned in surprise at the dull thudding sound of some object hitting the floor, the impact muffled through thick carpet. “What—…Ryoma?”

                “Ow…” A soft grunt of pain wisped from his lips as the fall knocked the breath out of his lungs. Perhaps drinking so much was a bad idea. He couldn’t tell how high his blood alcohol content was right now…but judging from the painful throb in his head, the spinning room, and the ringing in his ears, it was probably well over the legal driving limit _…if he still had his driver’s license that is…_ A wave of nausea sent the room into a blurry mess as he threw up, emptying the contents of his stomach onto the floor.

                “What a lightweight.” Miu sighed, gently picking him up and carrying him over to the garbage can, supporting his weight as he leaned over the receptacle, retching. “You’re collapsing on me after a few drinks? Your body’s so weak you probably couldn’t handle three rounds let alone go all night!”

                “Uhggg…”

                “…You know midgets have lower alcohol tolerances…vodka…Were youuu that eager to run away from it all?”

                “…”

                “Well it’s no use because we’re stuck here because of that plush bear…he’s probably stuffed with lies and ssshit. Even if you want to…There’s nowhere to run.”

                “…I don’t want to run…”

                “You’rrrre not the lying idiot out of the group, and I can tell because you’re sshit at it.”

                “…I…I don’t really want to leave…this sschool…”

                “Y-you don’t want to get out of this place? …Masochism, huh?”

                “No…That’sss not it.” He sighed, slowly turning to meet her eyes, “I’m on death row…I’m a killer after all…when we get out of here, the chair is what’sss waiting for me………I thought I had accepted it…but maybe not…I guess… somewhere deep down, I don’t want to die yet. Eeeven though I don’t have a reassson to keep going…”

                “Sshhhit…that’s deep…”

                *Click* The second metal bracelet dropped to the floor as it unlocked, and the brief silence was shortly followed by a quiet whoosh as a wooden door seemed to appear from thin air on the other side of the room.

                “Are you looking for one—a reason—here? That's why you don't wanna leave?”

                “Geez…it’s really pathetic huh?”

                “Duh-doy! An invention can never work if you start off with the wrong basic principle.”

                “Basic principle?”

                “Hmph! Of course! You’ll never find a reason here, Ryoma.”

                “I see…I was forgetting my place…”

                “No, that’s the basic principle you fucker. Reasons don’t just exist for you to find them. The World ain’t just gonna let you bang her after all, that’d be too easy!” Miu grinned, lacing her fingers behind her head, “Normally people spend their whole lives figuring that out, but since I’m such a genius, it didn’t take me nearly that long. Do you wanna know it, Ryoma? The anshwer to life, the universe, everything?”

                “Is it forty-two?” He chuckled softly, turning to meet her gaze.

                “W-what? No! Well…” Miu paused as if genuinely considering the idea, “It could be…But it could also be four-twenty, or sixty-nine, or sex, or chocolate brownies, or chasing after the little demon who stole your prototype sketchbook… Alllll those could be the anshhwer. Because the answerrr? It doesn’t fuckin’ exist!”

                “…”

                “Don’t be soooo tight Ryoma!” She snickered, clapping him roughly on the back, “Tha’s the point! If there’s no anshwer, you can just make one up! Just like reasons, ssstop looking for one, they don’t exist! You have to put your little dumpy brain to work and make one for yourself!”

                “I’m…too drunk for thisss…” Ryoma muttered, stumbling to his feet and shuffling toward the door with an uneven gait.

                He made it about a meter before one foot caught on the other and he toppled into the carpet with a dull thud.

                “Hah-haha!” Miu snorted with laughter, squatting down beside the small boy to poke him lightly in the side. “I’ll carry you back to the school if you get on your knees and beg! Hah-hahahahahahahaha.”

                “…Just leave me here.” Ryoma groaned, turning away from her to bury his face in the soft carpet.

                “Oh, I know whaaa’s up! Nothin' getsss past Miu Iruma! You're just actin' like you don't want it, right? Even if your mouth says noooo, your body is sayin', "Yesss, Miu! Help me!"

                “Jussst leave—wh-” He get out a soft grunt of surprise as Miu leaned forward to wrap one arm around his stomach, scooping him up into her arms.

                “If I leave you here and you kick it, you might startle me into losing motivation, that loss would be felt across the whole world!"

                “You’re…holding me lllike you’d hold a cat…” He sighed, deciding attempting to struggle out of her grasp would be futile.

                "Hahahaha! I dunno why, but idiots like you always fill me with inspiration! Just like fuckin’ cats." Nevertheless, she shifted her arms to a more comfortable position around him before walking toward the door. “You’re reallll lucky y’know? Only cats have ever been lucky enough to be pressed against these gorgeous, creamy titties!”

                Concluding it would be best not to respond, Ryoma closed his eyes, drowsily letting his head fall into the crook of her arm as the incessant pounding in his head faded to a dull throb.

                “If you throw up on me I’ll drop you!…Well…actually it might be a good opportunity to test out a new soap applicator…” She trailed off, humming in thought and mapping out an imaginary blueprint in her head. “Yeah…that might work…I’d have to change the formula a little for optimal cleaning…”

                Miu’s skin was slightly chilled from walking around without a shirt on and the smell of alcohol basically wafted off of her, but her arms were firm and solid around him as she carefully opened the door and padded down the hallway, chattering lightly to herself about soap formulas and machine prototypes.

_Being held like this…it wasn’t too bad._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -I used plenty of in-game dialogue especially for Miu bc I…I’m just not creative enough to think of her level of insults Ahaha…they’re really something else.  
> -I’ve been fucking waiting to find a pair to do the drinking prompt with Hehe, and it wasn’t even the quest this time! …I swear, I didn’t get drunk or high to write this…unless you count being high on the fuzzies you get whenever you write fluffy interactions, bc, then I’m totally high off my mind rn!~  
> -Yay! Drunken existentialism! My favorite!  
> -I would say their ‘secrets’ are headcanons…except…I feel like they’re kinda canon. If ya read their dialogue, it kinda hints at both!  
> -Disclaimers: Yaaahhaaaa! Don’t drink kids! Excessive alcohol is bad for your liver! Also don't be that fucking idiot who tries to take caffeine for erectile dysfunction...Viagra is a vasodilator which is like the opposite of caffeine (Miu probably knows this). Basically, do your research!  
> -  
> -Okay, why is this the only fic in the Ryoma/Miu tag? Like it's far-fetched, but not that far-fetched, come on! Ahaha  
> 


	12. Chiaki + Nagito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Spend a Day in a World of Memories”  
> “Students: Chiaki Nanami, Nagito Komaeda”
> 
> Headcanon Warning: Chiaki has problems socializing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: past trauma, implied PTSD

                “We…get a choice?” Chiaki hummed, lightly tilting her head as she stared at the monitor in front of them. Two white boxes blinked upon the screen. “Select one option: Choice A: Chiaki Nanami. Choice B: Nagito Komaeda” It was strangely nice of Monokuma to allow them to choose whose memories to spend the day in… “Want to visit your memories Nagito?”

                “…And here I was hoping I could learn a little more about you, Chiaki.” He smiled lightly, digging one hand through his pocket, “Since we can’t decide, want to flip a coin?”

                “No, that’s alright,” She paused slightly before reaching over and pressing ‘A’ on the keyboard. “I don’t mind, but my life wasn’t the exciting plot of an action RPG.”

                The room around them shifted, blurring into a white plane before slowly developing the outlines of benches and trees and grass. Gradually the lineart filled in with color and sound and movement. The bushes turned green and brown as they began to rustle, swishing slightly in the lazy, late summer wind. Birds sang to each other as they flitted from tree to tree. A bubbling fountain started animating, streaming water down upon a bed of copper and silver coins. The sky filled in with brilliant warm golden oranges which cast an almost soothing light over the area.

                “This VR is really good…I can even feel touch feedback! I wonder if Monokuma has any games compatible with the headset…” She trailed off to glance around, gathering her bearings.

                The fountain. The park bench. The trees all around them. The paths flying in from all directions to converge in this small area. The sky at sunset. The school building rising up through the tree line behind them.

                So the Mastermind had chosen this particular memory…how cruel.

                “Where are we Chiaki?”

                “Somewhere I spent a lot of time.” She sighed softly before sitting down on the weather-worn wooden bench in front of the fountain. Nagito didn’t remember Hope’s Peak Academy even after seeing the characteristic tower in the background…that was good. She could continue to play her part as a guide.

                She avoided curious green eyes as he sat down beside her. There was no obligation to share the significance of this place, so she wouldn’t. Monokuma had told them before they put on the headsets that all people would be removed from the memory-scape, leaving only the location, items, plants, and animals _…And even so…Nagito had been ready to use his luck to avoid visiting his memories…_

                “Want to play a game with me?” Holding her spare console toward the boy, she smiled as he took it.

                “Of course…if you’d allow me to play with someone as amazing as you.”

                “You don’t need to be good at video games to play them,” She leaned over to power on the device for him, sliding a game cartridge into the slot on the back. “Just playing with someone else…it’s really fun.”

                _Galaga…_ She had played it with Hajime here often before everything went down. While he wasn’t fantastic at it, the retro-style shooting game had been one of his favorites. _He’d mentioned something about liking games with target based objectives…Would he still like it if she taught him how to play again?_

                Despite never playing the game before, Nagito was quite a bit better than Hajime ever was, managing to rival her high score by the third play through. Grinning at the challenge, she bit her tongue in focus, placing a new record after twenty minutes.

                “Your talent is truly amazing Chiaki.” He beamed, happily watching the ‘New High Score’ text jump up and down on her screen, “It truly surpasses this luck of mine in every way.”

                “Hmm…” She hummed, starting a new game while sorting phrases through her mind to find the right words to voice her thoughts, “I don’t think it really has anything to do with talent…I just play this game a lot.”

                “Ah, you truly enjoy older games don’t you?” He watched the pixels flying across the screen with contemplation, “I have to agree they’re really creative…Who thought to create a game about butterflies shooting lazer beams?”

                “Butterflies?” Oh…she understood: the minute pixels of the space-ships did kind of look like butterflies on the small screen. “This is Galaga, a game first released in 1981. Since then, it’s become really popular, being adapted to all sorts of different consoles. The original game had 255 stages, but some players managed to induce a glitch which added one more, a level zero. This version we’re playing now was edited to be an endless run though, the AI increases the difficulty every round and randomizes levels, so you can play it over and over again without ever being bored!”

                He smiled contently as she rambled on about the history of retro-style games while her fingers darted up and down. _Video games…they were something Chiaki really liked huh?_ Though her mauve eyes were trained on her screen, he could imagine them sparkling with hope… _beautiful_.

                “The game is actually about spaceships defending the planet from waves of alien invaders,” She leaned over, tapping one of the moving aircraft on his screen, “They don’t really look like any spaceships we have though. Maybe it’s easier to think of them as fighter jets.”

_Fighter jets…_

                “Pixel art is really great because it used to be a lot easier for systems to handle…”

_Aircraft…_

                “…but now that processing speeds have increased so much, higher quality graphics are a lot more popular…”

_Crackly intercom announcements which betrayed the panic in the Co-Captain’s voice…_

                “…That doesn’t mean games with pixel graphics have become extinct though, in fact, one of the most popular games for the PC last year was created with a pixel style…”

_Hissing sounds as the cabin shook, ceiling panels opening to deploy oxygen masks which bounced up and down on their elastic cords…_

                “…It was actually really nice because the simple graphics drew a focus to the unique story and relationship building aspects of the game…”

_Falling…the plane was falling…He glanced out the window as the clouds seemed to fly toward them; his stomach rose into his throat. Was this…his fault?_

                “…And that’s true with old games too! A lot of them have really good game play even by today’s standards!...”

_Frantic crying and screaming filled the cabin as items began to fall from overhead compartments, spilling clothing and electronics into the isles…_

                “…Sometimes it’s just nice to sit down and pick up a game to play while you’re waiting in line for something or sitting alone, and arcade games are perfect for that because there isn’t a story you have to remember or cut scenes which get interrupted if you need to suddenly stop…”

_Red…What was he looking at? Red…blood was red. Blood kept humans alive…Blood should stay inside the body…So why was there so much of it on the floor? ‘Mom?’ He called, patting her shoulder. She didn’t respond. Oh…she wasn’t breathing. Humans…humans needed to breathe right? She wasn’t breathing. ‘Mom? You have to breathe.’ She didn’t respond. Dad wasn’t any better; there was something collapsed on his head, a piece of the plane. ‘Dad?’ Dad wasn’t breathing either… 'but maybe if I freed him…’ He tried his best to move the object, it didn’t budge. Jagged metal dug into his palms. ……Oh…his hands were red. Red was supposed to stay inside the body. If it was coming out…did that mean he would stop breathing too? His chest felt tight. It was hard to gasp for air._

                “…But yeah, sometimes it’s hard to tell what the pixels are supposed to represent. People might call me a ‘fake fan’ for saying this, but I really like the later Pokemon games a lot more than Red and Blue. Pokemon just have such cool designs and color schemes, you know? But it’s hard to make them out when the screen is so small and everything is in grayscale…”

_Bright lights blinded him, shining into his eyes as he blinked blearily. Search lights…They were search lights… ‘This one’s alive!’ ‘Is he the only one?’ ‘Yeah, get him out of there now!’ ‘Wow, he doesn’t look like he has any major injuries. His hands are a little cut up, but it’s really shallow. Throw a c-collar on him anyways, just to be safe.’ ‘Must be some kind of miracle child, look at the plane…there’s no way anyone should’ve made it…’ The arms and hands reached toward him, pulling him away from the wreckage. ‘Wait…Mom…Dad…Don’t leave them there…Why aren’t they coming with us?’_

                “Oh, sorry, did I start rambling about something?” She turned to him with embarrassment, “I tend to get carried away whenever I talk about—…Nagito?”

                Sometime ago he must have stopped playing the game, the ‘Game Over’ text blinked slowly on the screen as he stared down, hair covering his face. White knuckles gripped the small portable console tightly. _Was he…mad?_ “Hey, Nagito?” She repeated, gently leaning over to poke his hand lightly with the tip of her pointer finger.

                “I...Chiaki? Is something wrong?” He blinked, turning to her with a wide smile.

                _Ah…it was a tight lipped smile…the corners of his mouth forced upwards in a false expression of happiness…Was he mad at her? What should she do?_ This was…this was what always seemed to happen. No matter how much she practiced by interacting with Hajime and the others, she just couldn’t seem to predict the flow of the conversation whenever she talked to Nagito. _What should she say?_

                “Are…Are you okay?” _She already knew he wasn’t okay._ His pale face was drawn, and he looked even more tired than usual, dull eyes doing their best to imitate cheer.

                “I’m perfectly fine!” He chirped lightly, handing back the console. “There’s no need to worry about scum like me. I’m…I’m going to take a walk and look around.”

                “I’ll go with you.” She blinked, moving to put her game away before he stopped her.

                “No…that’s okay, I wouldn’t want to interrupt what you’re doing.”

                “It’s not…” Chiaki broke off as he stood up without waiting for her to finish. _He…he really was mad…wasn’t he? She’d never seen him act this way before._ “Nagito?” She hesitated, watching him walk away down the west path.

                “I’ll return shortly, don’t worry about me!” He grinned, waving cheerfully as he left.

                _‘When people are upset, sometimes it’s best to give them a little space.’_ Biting her lip against the instinct to chase after him, she glanced down at the upper right corner of the console. _5:30 pm._ She lasted about 40 minutes at Galaga if she played seriously…Perhaps she should use the time to think…

 

_What had she done this time?_

                She was never especially good at interacting with people… In fact, if you looked up ‘Chiaki Nanami’s’ skill sheet, the social interaction stat would probably be a -3. Mother had always scolded her to not do anything weird she learned from video games whenever she talked to real people. After the incident in fifth grade where a boy pushed her down the stairs for ‘leading him on,’ Mother had given her a book. “This is how normal people act Chiaki…think of it as a cheat guide, alright?” _The book…it was a psychology textbook._

                That summer she had memorized the entire thing from front to back cover.

                On the first day of sixth grade, she followed the advice of the text. When the boy sitting beside her in English picked up her eraser off the ground, she told him ‘thank you’ instead of giving him a hug. When she didn’t have a partner for stretches in gym, she approached another girl sitting alone on the bleachers instead of pulling out her gameboy. When the teacher handed back a completely graded test with an A+ written in green ink, she gave the teacher a wide smile instead of kissing her on the cheek. The words written in the book…they were true. If she just did what they said instead of acting on instinct, people didn’t look at her funny or snicker behind her back. When she followed the guidelines, she became just a normal girl.

                And so she followed them.

                She followed them through the rest of middle school, holding back her impulses. Playing games wasn’t something the others did…so she stopped bringing her consoles to school, opting instead to follow the conversations of classmates as they wandered chaotically through superficial topics.

                “Be yourself.” The small handwritten note at the bottom of the acceptance letter to Hope’s Peak had startled her…but nevertheless, it felt as if some invisible weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as soon as she’d read it. So…even though it was school, she had brought her games, slipping naturally into the rhythm of playing. Toting her consoles around everywhere…it felt like being with a long lost friend…it felt like being at home. And best of all, the others didn’t seem to mind.

                When it came to social interactions; however, she still did her best to fall back upon the book. The things her brain told her to do were considered ‘socially unacceptable’ after all. Real life wasn’t like games…You couldn’t just hug random strangers or give them kisses on the cheek whenever you felt happy (She had learned that the hard way after the boy’s push shattered her left arm in fifth grade). And, overall the outlines in the book did really help. They were written with the general population in mind, so statistically, they had a higher chance of being right than wrong.

                There was only a slight problem…Nagito wasn’t exactly ‘the average human.’

                She couldn’t predict the flow of conversation, she couldn’t predict his movements, she couldn’t see the route of his social link clearly at all. So…talking to him was hard.

                “Even so…I still want to do it. I still want to connect with him…” The words were a whispered resolution to the amber sky above.

                _7:34 pm._ The small digital display on her console reported.

                It had been two full hours since he’d walked away… _That was enough time right?_ In fact, so much time had passed that apparently the virtual reality console had decided it was officially night in the simulation. She glanced down at her outfit in surprise to find it had changed from her usual school uniform into a long, knee length nightgown adorned with small embroidered fruits. _Monokuma knew what her pajamas looked like…_ She didn't question it.

                 Carefully stowing her consoles in her backpack, she headed in the direction Nagito had, slowly swiveling her head in thought. _Yes…she had an idea where he might be._

~.o.~

                The playground was down the west path. She had never visited it before, but she knew it was there from walking past the colorful structures many times on her way to the fountain. Perhaps it was a little strange for a prestigious high school to have such a childish installment on campus, but a couple years ago, the principle had ordered the play structures to be built. Something about visiting siblings running through the halls and interrupting lessons…

                There was nothing else down this path, so he couldn’t have gotten far… And sure enough, as soon as she glanced around the playground, she spotted the tell tale white of his hair sharply contrasting against the vibrant pine green of a plastic crawl tunnel. If the structure didn’t have several large oval holes in the side for children to peer out of, she might’ve missed him completely by the way he had folded himself into it. _Why was he sitting in there?_

                “Hey, Nagito?”

                The startled smile he pasted on seemed to immediately slip off his face as soon as she poked her head into the tunnel. Before she could get another word out, he was backing away from her, slowly inching out the other side of the playstructure.

                “…Ah…Chiaki…”

                She’d honestly been a little worried that he was still mad at her, but he didn’t look angry…

                Crawling after him, she frowned in confusion at his retreat. “What…”

                Why was he breathing so heavily? _Asthma? No…his breaths sounded clear…_ And the way he was staring at her with wide eyes…It almost seemed like he was scared of her. _But…that was impossible. Him? Scared of Her_? _She was wearing a strawberry pink nightgown covered in pastel fruit designs…_

                Coming out of the other side of the tunnel, she blinked, adjusting to the light before spotting Nagito a few feet away, moving toward the trees. “Hey, Nagito, what are you—” She cautiously approached him, startling as he collapsed to his knees in the grass.

                “S-stop it…” The words were uncharacteristically tense, his eyes fixed nervously on some spot over her shoulder.

                _Was there…something behind her?_ Turning to scan the area, she frowned. _Nothing_. And strangely, his gaze was following the movement of her head…

                _Something over her shoulder…but on her head? What was he…?_ She trailed off, blinking in sudden realization. _Oh……her hairclip?_   Testing the theory, she yanked it out of her hair, watching his eyes as they followed her hand _. So it was_. Without a second thought or a moment’s hesitation, she strode across the playground to the curb, dropping the hairclip through a street grate into the sewers below. The metallic pin gleamed as it caught the light one last time before disappearing into the darkness forever.

                “…Chiaki!”

                “Mmm?” She murmured, staring down at the cement absently.

                “I… Your beloved hairclip…”

                _Hmm…_ she blinked in sudden realization. She _did_ just do that…That hairclip, it was her absolute favorite, a limited edition pin which had come in the exclusive 30th anniversary bundle. She’d been wearing it for almost three years…And yet, she had discarded it just like that. Ah…she was acting on impulse again…but thinking it over, she didn’t regret it at all.

                “I have other hairclips…but you’re the only Nagito I’ll ever know.” Chiaki smiled quietly, turning toward him, “You’re irreplaceable…unexchangeable…because you’re you.” Maybe it was a little cheesy, like a line out of a low level romance game, but nevertheless, it was true. “I won’t ask why…Just tell me next time you feel like that okay? And I’ll get rid of whatever it is immediately.”

                “……Chiaki…You shine you know? You glow so brightly with hope…If I look directly at you for too long, I might go blind. Haha…” The laughter was soft and a little sad as he stared downwards, tracing blades of grass with his eyes.

                Seeing him like this……it was slightly disconcerting. He was usually so bright and cheery despite the constant dark circles under his eyes. And even though he was prone to going on random tangents and babbling about his ideals in a way which made her head spin if she tried too hard to understand what he was saying, she could tell that his joy was genuine. Seeing him happy, it really brightened the classroom. Even if most of the class wouldn't admit it, it felt as if they were missing something when he was gone. The unexplainable warm, fuzzy feeling which filled her chest whenever he cheerfully greeted everyone in the morning or gave them compliments on their talents _…_ _Was that hope?_ If so, she could almost understand why he was so passionate about it.    

 _Hope…It really meant a lot to him didn't it?_   She wondered if anyone told him that he always brought the class those warm feelings. _Come to think of it…had *she* told him yet? '_ Sometimes it's nice to have someone else point out the positive traits you don't always see yourself.' The textbook seemed to agree, encouraging her on.  

                “Hey, Nagito…” She gently smiled, kneeling down in front of him to catch his gaze with hers. “It makes me happy, seeing you. Even if it means I’ll go blind…I won’t look away, because you shine too—with hope I mean…”

                “I-I…shine with hope?” His irises seemed to wobble, voice breaking as emerald eyes glossed over.

_Had she said something wrong?_

                She froze, tensely studying him over. Although the textbook defined vocal weakness as a negative sign, a sign of emotional distress, Nagito seemed a lot less wound up. His rigid shoulders had dropped, releasing the tension in his body as they shook with complete and utter relief.

 _‘People usually prefer to have privacy when they are upset.’ The text chided._ But some internal instinct told her she shouldn’t leave him right now.

 _Physical touch can be comforting…_ She paused hesitantly. _Was that the right option? It went against what the book said…What if it was wrong?_

                Lightly patting her cheeks to muster up courage, she took a deep breath before inching forward slowly to wrap her arms around him in a loose embrace. If the hug was was light enough, he’d be able to push her away if he thought it was inappropriate.

                “Nagito—”

                He surprised her, rushing up to clutch her so tightly and suddenly that she fell backwards into the grass. Landing on top of her, a sharp elbow jammed into her ribs, knocking the air from her lungs. “Ow…” She winced, taking several deep breaths to re-oxygenate.

                “Ah, I’m sorry…” He scrambled to get off of her, voice tight with shock “Did I hurt you? You shouldn’t worry about me; I’m okay now, really.”

 _‘You should always let the other person break off the hug or kiss first.’  He said he’s okay… He knows himself best after all…_ Despite that, the small, instinctive voice in her head told her not to let him pull away…

                So instead of allowing him to retreat, she reached forward, looping her arms around his torso to firmly pull him back down.

                “C-Chiaki?”

                _‘Offer words of reassurance. Tell him that he’s okay. That he will be okay. '_ But that wasn’t right. She didn’t know if he would be okay…So instead, she simply told him the truth as she knew it.

                “I’m glad you’re here with me Nagito. I like playing games with you… You aren’t worthless. You’re one of our classmates, and you’re just as valuable as me and everyone else.”

                “No that’s—”

                “It’s true. Everything I said was true Nagito. I’m not lying, you can trust me.” She laughed softly, raising her eyes to meet his. “Whenever I see your happy smile in the morning, it makes me feel really calm. Like I’m at peace. Like no matter what happens, it’ll be alright…Maybe it’s because… You’re my hope, Nagito.”

                Green eyes widened in shock, flickering over her face as if desperately searching for any hints of the truth. She smiled gently with reassurance, with affirmation, repeating the statement. The words were soft and quiet, and the statement was brief, but maybe it was all he needed to hear.

                Soundlessly he stopped fighting her embrace, weakly collapsing down into her chest as silent sobs wracked his body.

_‘Avoid any potentially compromising positions with members of the opposite sex.’ The textbook scolded. Would this be considered potentially compromising? Probably._

                She made no effort to move, merely watching the top of his head with curiosity as he cried against her, the shoulder of her nightgown becoming soaked with snot and tears. _Now that she thought about it…this was the first time she had ever seen him break down…_  She didn't need the textbook to tell her that occasional crying was a natural and perfectly healthy release for emotions. _Even if it meant having to wash her pajamas more often, she wouldn’t mind being his shoulder to cry on again._

                 _Physical comfort…_ She bit her lip against the sudden insinct to pet his head. _Where was that coming from?_ She sorted through games in her mind and frowned in realization.  _Ah…When bonding with Pokemon in the later games, one of the activities to form a stronger bond was to pet them. 'Do not treat others as you would treat an animal' The book reprimanded. But…That wasn't what she meant at all……And so far…Acting on her instincts with Nagito seemed to be the right strategy…_

                Hesitantly, she reached up to place her hand lightly on his head, moving her fingers up and down with gentle pats. This wasn’t a scene from any of the games she had played and it went against a lot of rules in the psychology textbook…Somewhere down the line she had strayed from the path she’d been following with Nagito’s social link. _A hidden route?_ No…it was more like she was writing it herself…They were in uncharted waters.

                It was a little scary not knowing what was coming up…which actions were the correct ones…which words would lead to the right paths…but something told her that if she just followed the voice of her heart, eventually she’d reach a good ending.

                So she simply lay there in the grass, tracing cloud patterns in the sky with her eyes and patting his head softly as Nagito tightly clutched fistfuls of her nightgown, shoulders shaking uncontrollably with sobs.

                Maybe this wasn’t normal or ‘correct,’ but something told her it was _right_. Thus, she was more than content to rest there on the ground with him as the lazy summer air floated through the sky and the planet continued to revolve like it always did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Full versions of this Ch's Sketches (If you couldn't tell I tried real hard on these haha) > : [Chiaki](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch12-Chiaki-799530781) | [Nagito](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch12-Nagito-799530873)  
> -(Why did only Chiaki change clothes? Honestly, Nagito probably just sleeps in his day clothes. I just can't imagine what pajamas he'd wear aha)  
> -  
> -Monokuma has super high tec 5 senses, sword-art-online level VR? Why the hell not~ (/^▽^)/  
> -I think video games would totally be one of Chiaki’s special interests. She can probably spout out release dates and random trivia about a lot of games she likes off the top of her head <3  
> -I know, I know, Nagito’s always getting comforted in my fics, but tbh, I feel like he just really needs a hug. He doesn’t cry in the games, but…I think if someone told him he was their hope, he would literally just lose it and break down on the spot.  
> -  
> -Hmmm, I just noticed that I haven’t written any interactions for Trigger Happy Havoc characters. I just can’t think of any fun quests for some reason. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them <3


	13. Kazuichi + Ibuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Photobooth”  
> “Students: Ibuki Mioda, Kazuichi Souda”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: None~

                “Photobooth?” Kazuichi frowned slightly at the words revolving upon the small digital display of the bracelet. _What did that mean?_

                “Cubs these days are really getting dumber by the generation huh? It’s probably the inbreeding, puhuhuhu!” Monokuma’s crackly laughter sounded through the room yanking him from his train of thought. “Alright, I’m only gonna explain this once so let’s get rollin’!”

                _Where was the speaker this announcement was coming from?_ Kazuichi nibbled on his lower lip as he glanced around the room. _He couldn’t spot any external wiring of any kind…Even if the system was wired into the walls, there should at least be some sort of sound outlet, but the ceiling and walls were smooth—_

                “Hey! What did I just say?! Pay attention!”

                “H-Hold on! I’m listening!” _So Monokuma could see what he was doing as well?_ _That would mean there was also some sort of camera in the room, but those were a lot easier to hide because they didn’t emit any volume, so they didn’t draw any attention to themselves._

                “It’s simple, really! You both put on the outfits provided, and then you step into the photobooth over there and take pictures!” Monokuma’s wide smile was almost audible through the rising lilt of his voice as he continued on through the announcement. “Of course…there is a *slight* catch. Puhuhuhu! The outfits are in the black boxes on the table over there—one for you, and one for your partner. But! But, but, but! When you step into the photobooth, you can’t be wearing *anything* which isn’t provided in the box. That includes underwear, makeup, jewelry, and contacts!”

                “Wh-What the heck…?”

                “Puhuhuhuhu! Don’t worry, making you go commando is so last year! Especially since one of you freaks already doesn’t wear underwear…” The voice through the speakers trailed off with disgust before continuing on. “Everything you need will be in the boxes! Me and my sad excuse for a little sister spent a lot of time putting these outfits together, so you guys have to put on *every single* item in the boxes! Puhuhuhu! Don’t test me! My shock finger might get a little trigger happy!” With that the voice clicked off leaving Kazuichi staring at the ceiling with absolute confusion.

                “Which one of us doesn’t wear underwear…?”

                “Kazuuuuuuuiiiichiiii!”  The loud shriek made him whip around in panic before he remembered: _Oh yeah, Ibuki was his partner._

                “I-I’m right here Ibuki…You don’t have to scream.”

                “But I already called your name like five times and you didn’t respond!”

                “R-Really…?”

                “Yup! Kazuchi, which box do you want? Since Ibuki’s nice, I’ll let you chose!” She grinned, waving him toward the table, “This one has a cute theme and the other one is reallllly dark and spooky!”

                _When had she rummaged through the boxes? During Monokuma’s speech? Hmm…the room had been uncharacteristically quiet_. “I’ll…take the outfit without the skirt…” He grimaced, poking through the items briefly.

                “Box numero two it is!” Shoving it into his hands, she pointed to a door on the far wall, “You can go first, Ibuki will wait!”

                “…Do what first?”

                “H-Hey…have you been listening?” She furrowed her eyebrows, leaning in close to meet his confused gaze, “Monokuma said we can’t wear anything not in the boxes right? So we need to shower, wash off our makeup, and change into these outfits!”

                “…Alright, let’s do our best on this quest and escape this room!” He shot her an apologetic look before sending a sweeping glance around the room to get his bearings. Man……he had been so focused on the sound system wiring earlier that he hadn’t even surveyed the room yet.

                The space was rectangular and about half the size of the garage at home. Cream colored walls were accented with small picture frames, and the carpeted floor was soft underfoot. Massive, light framed mirrors lined one wall reminding him of the dramatic backstage prep rooms he’d only seen before on T.V. Right now, they were standing at the table on one side of the room, and along with the door to the small bathroom on the other wall, there was the colorful cube of the photobooth, velvety curtains rustling in the breeze from the wall mounted A.C. unit.

                “Kazuichi?” Ibuki peered at his eyes, waving a hand in front of his face in attempt to draw his attention. “Kaaaaaaazzzzuuuuiiiichiiii!”

                “W-What…Oh! I-I’m going!”

~.o.~

                _The bracelet is waterproof…_ He hummed to himself as he ran a towel through wet hair and simultaneously rummaged through the box. _It was quite thin and yet it managed to contain an electronic display system with decent graphics…He’d love to take it apart and examine the technology, but Monokuma had explicitly stated they couldn’t mess with the bracelets…_ His fingers twitched in frustration, tapping against his thigh with fidgety energy. _There had been a television mounted on the wall in the backstage room…Maybe he could take that apart…_

                Pulling the thick black pants over his hips, socks and socks over his feet, and the strangely tattered ‘shirt’ over his head, he stared into the mirror with a frown. The outfit was…strange to say the least. Although the pants had many cargo style pockets which he liked, they were covered in random silver zippers, chains, and spikes which just *couldn’t* be practical. The platformed shoes weren’t much better, featuring many of the same decorations…and the shirt… Picking at the battered strands of fabric he bit his lip in confusion. What had once probably been a plain black t-shirt had been cut up with so many holes that the remaining fabric barely covered any of his torso… He could’ve just been not wearing a shirt, that was about how much cloth there was…

                Come to think of it…Monokuma had implied that Monomi helped him put the outfits together. If they had each created one outfit…he was pretty sure this one had ‘Monokuma’ all over it. He looked a bit like he’d been mauled by a bear.

                Reaching a hand through the box for any remaining items, he sighed. _Wearing this was probably going to be cold in the air conditioned room. Eyeliner…Mascara…Bobby pins…Hairties… He_ paused as his fingers grazed a small rectangular box.

                Flipping the container upside down and holding it to the light above the bathroom mirror, he froze. _This was…_ Stiff fingers opened the box. Sure enough, resting within the brown velvet lined case was a familiar pair of black framed glasses.

_‘…you can’t be wearing *anything* which isn’t provided in the box. That includes…contacts!’_

                Snapping the box closed, he shoved it into a pocket, looped the hair towel over his shoulder, and picked up the makeup products before opening the bathroom door. The rest of the stuff, he could apply at the mirror of the backstage room.

                “Ibuki’s turn!” She cheerily grinned, slapping him a high-five before skipping into the bathroom.

~.o.~

 _Contacts… He needed to take the contacts out before he did mascara…_ Opening the glasses case made his stomach drop. He hadn’t put them on for years… _How did Monokuma even get these? They were probably the wrong prescription by now anyways._ Despite the eye doctor’s insistence that it was good to have a pair of glasses for a backup, he’d adamantly refused until the suggestion had been dropped.

                Popping out the brightly colored contacts, his vision immediately went out of focus. It was a good thing he was already sitting at the counter in front of the mirror or he probably would’ve tripped while attempting to cross the room. _His eyesight had really gotten worse over the years huh? There was no way it had anything to do with the fact he almost never took his contacts out…probably._

                Naturally dark brown irises stared back at him in the mirror. Frowning, he quickly applied winged eyeliner and mascara with a practiced hand. The bobby pins and hairties would have to wait for his hair to dry completely…So all that was left to put on was…

_“Wait, I’m not mad that I got scolded! Please…”_

_You act like I don't exist anymore…?_

_Why…?_

                Chewing on his lip, he took a deep breath and unfolded the legs of the metal frames before sliding the glasses onto his face. The world snapped back into focus, and he could once again see the small details of the photographs across the room.

_He looked…like someone else. He looked…like something from the past. Something he had tried his best to bury…_

                Frowning slightly, he turned away from the reflection in the mirror…and right into Ibuki’s face which was inches from his own.

                “Ugyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

                “Gyaaah!…Wait…Why are we screaming?”

                “D-Don’t sneak up on me like that!” His chest heaved, sucking in air as his heart pounded in his throat.

                “But…Ibuki was calling your name for like five minutes…”

                “R-Really?”

                “Tee-hehehehe…It’s okay!” She leaned in closer to stare into his eyes as he immediately broke eye contact to look away. “Kazuichi?”

                “…Y-Yeah?” Despite his best efforts to keep his voice steady, the response came out a cracked whisper.

                “Your eyeliner is so sharp! That’s awesome!”

                “…What?”

                “No matter how hard Ibuki tries, mine always comes out wobbly!” She puffed out a cheek in a slight pout before clasping his right hand in both of hers, “Kazuichi will you do mine too?! Please?”

                “R-Right now?”

                “Yeah! Before we take pictures!”

                “Okay…” He glanced over her outfit in thought. Just as he thought, this one screamed ‘Monomi’ with its pastel pink and white color scheme. A short-sleeved white collared shirt poked out from under an oversized pink cardigan. A matching pink pleated skirt complimented wedged sneakers with ribbons for shoelaces, and a candy colored, striped tie completed the outfit. Several bows and hair ties hung off her wrists which would probably go in her hair after it dried… “I’ll try, but I’m not the best at subtle makeup.”

                “No! Don’t make it subtle!” She pouted, plopping down on the stool beside him and scooting closer. “Ibuki wants to look fierce! Like Kazuichi!”

                “I…I look fierce?” He paused, halfway through uncapping a bottle of eyeliner, “…Even right now?”

                “Tee hee, of course! Why wouldn’t you?”

                Silently, he matched her wide smile before leaning forward, “Okay, hold still…”

 

                “Woah! It’s so smooth and crisp!” Ibuki cheered, turning her head from side to side in the mirror, “Kazuichi, you’re really amazing!”

                “If you think that’s impressive, leave me a machine to fix, and I’ll show you how skilled I am!”

                “Your makeup abilities are like a secret skill! Tahaaa! Ibuki wants to show you her secret skill too!” Leaping off the stool, she spun around on the carpet before plopping down on the ground and patting the floor beside her. “Come here Kazuichi.”

                 “…What…?”

                “My secret skill!” She hummed, bringing two index fingers to the top of her head in imitation of her usual hairstyle, “making hair horns!”

                “I-I……I don’t know if that’s a good idea Ibuki…”

                “W-what? Why not?”

                “Argh…I…just……………”

                “I have tons of experience!” She patted her chest with confidence, “I make them every day! Your hair is long enough to make good ones. You can trust Ibuki!

                _Trust…It was that word again._

                "The truth is I don't know anything about you, so it's not my fault if I don't trust you…" He chewed his lip, avoiding her gaze.

                Blinking in confusion, Ibuki stood up slowly. _Something…something told her this wasn’t about letting her do his hair_. _What was with the sudden conversation change?_

                “You…don’t trust me? Ibuki’s not dangerous, I promise. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.” She frowned lightly as he got off his stool and turned toward her. _Had he been worried about that all day?_ “Ibuki's weapon of choice is a guitar. There's nothing more dangerous in her hands than that…And I don’t have one right now, so I’m totally harmless.”

                "Like that matters! It's not like I know the *real* you!” His voice was a raw shout, fists clenched so tightly at his sides that his nails dug into his palms. “And…And I’ll never be able to figure that out! How could I? I don’t even know the real me!”

                Eyes snapping open, she closed the distance between them in a few short strides before grabbing his hand and pressing it to her chest. “Do you feel that? That’s Ibuki’s heartbeat. They say you can tell if someone’s lying by how fast their heart is beating! So I want you to know Ibuki isn’t lying!” She tilted her head up to catch his eyes with her fierce gaze. “I’d never betray someone I care about! That’s like betraying a bandmember!”

_His hand…His hand was on her chest. Oh my god. His hand was on her chest._

                Face flushing as bright as his hair, he yanked his fingers out of her grip, eyes wide with flustered shock. Thankfully, Ibuki didn’t make any attempts to take them back as she continued on.

                “And you do! You do know yourself! Kazuichi is amazing at working with machines in a way which makes Ibuki’s head spin! No one else knows as much about engines and electronics as you, and today I found out your secret skill is makeup! Just because you took out your contacts, why would you think you’re a different person? You’re still Kazuichi! You’re still the only Kazuichi Ibuki knows!”

                “S-So…you did notice…”

                “Mmm, Ibuki’s observing skills are top notch! Not as good as my hearing, but still good!”

_‘Why…? Why would he leave me...? I…I thought he knew me…I thought I knew him…’_

_I thought I knew him…_

_I thought I knew him…_

                Shaking his head forcefully to dispel the unwanted memories, he took a deep breath.

_He…He wanted to try. He wanted to try again._

                “I-I…want to see it Ibuki. Your secret skill.”  He cautiously brought his eyes to meet her gaze and almost flinched back at how brightly her eyes shined with excitement.

                “Muah-haha!” She grinned, patting the fluffy carpet beside her as he slowly sat down, “Oooh, your hair is so soft! But…If you don’t stop shaking with energy, Ibuki won’t be able to make them well.”

                “I-I’m not shaking with energy.” He groaned softly as the sound of the air conditioner fan started up again. “I-It’s just cold. I-I already checked the unit, but it’s part of a centralized system, so the temperature control is probably in a different room or in the hallway.”

                “Mmm…” Ibuki hummed in thought, eyes scanning over the goosebumps on his exposed skin. “Oh! I got it! Kazuichi, hold out your hands real quick.” Yanking the oversized pink sweater off over her head, she dropped the fabric into his fingers. “Here!”

                “Ibuki! What—”

                “We just need to wear these clothes right? Monokuma never said anything about mixing and matching pieces.” She grinned, leaning forward to tap the sweater with her pointer finger, “I was getting hot wearing two layers anyways, so put it on! Just looking at you is making Ibuki’s teeth chatter!”

                Hesitantly he pulled the sweater over the tattered rags of the black shirt, carefully avoiding his glasses.

                “Soooo, do you feel warmer?”

                “Yeah…” He flushed, glancing down at the top which managed to look less oversized and more fitted on his body. It was kind of girly with its heart shaped zipper and soft material, but he had to admit it was a lot warmer than walking around in the cut up remains of a shirt. “A-Are you sure you don’t mind?”

                “Yep!” She grinned around a mouthful of bobby pins, leaning forward to divide up sections of his brightly colored hair.

 

                “Woah! I look so cool!” He beamed happily at the reflection in the mirror, raising a hand to his mouth in awe. Although the horns were a lot smaller than Ibuki’s and a bit spiky due to his jagged haircut, they really did make him look pretty awesome. Kind of like a demon of some sort…An image which the pastel pink sweater promptly dispelled.

                “Kazuichi…Your eyes are *actually* sparkling!” She giggled at the ecstatic expression on his face, “How do you do that?”

                “W-What…?”

                “Ah, Ibuki understands! It’s a trade secret right? Oh well, come on, let’s do this!” Spinning around with excitement, she skipped toward the photobooth, waving for him to follow.

 

                “Was that door always there?” He frowned at the metal doorframe which seemed to appear out of nowhere on the wall across the room.

                “Nope! Maybe it’s magic!” Ibuki hummed, sorting through the stack of pictures in her hands.

               _Or more likely, an electronic pulley system…He hadn’t examined the wall particularly closely. It was completely possible he missed seeing several hinges when the door was in its hidden stage, and the wall paneling would’ve definitely helped in concealing the entrance._

                Picking up the unlocked metal bracelets from the carpet, he carefully examined the outsides and insides for any signs of hinges. _Oh…there were several small screws here. He’d probably need the jewelry screwdrivers back in his cottage for this._ Humming with anticipation, he stowed them in the pocket of his jumpsuit before turning to his reflection in the mirror.

                While it felt awesome to change back into familiar clothing, in order to put his contacts back in, he’d have to remove all his eye makeup…and Ibuki was already excitedly motioning him toward the exit. _Maybe…maybe it could wait._

                “This one is my favorite!” She handed him one of the larger pictures off the top of the stack.

                Taking one look at the photo made him grimace. The cutesy stickers and doodles they’d layered on the picture really emphasized the girly sweater he was wearing. “Man…We should burn these. I didn’t think Monokuma would let us take them out of the room.”

                “No! Ibuki wants to treasure these!” She pouted, hugging the remaining photos to her chest, “I won’t show them to anyone else, promise! ……Well…actually…would Kazuichi mind if Ibuki shared them with *one* other person?”

                Chewing his lip slightly with worry, he handed back the decorated picture and gave a small nod. “Yeah…I guess that’s okay…”

                “Tee-hehehehe _…_ Hajime’s gonna love these!”

 _Oh…Hajime._ Letting out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, Kazuichi blinked with relief as he followed Ibuki’s energetic pace through the hallway.

_If it was Hajime it would be alright. Why had he been so worried? He should've known Ibuki wouldn't show them to someone like Miss Sonia or Hiyoko._

_This time…Maybe it would be okay._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's What Kazuichi's outfit looked like: [Original Outfit](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch13-Kazuichi-V2-800053270) | [W/ the Sweater](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch13-Kazuichi-V3-800053359)  
> -(Sorry, no Ibuki sketches yet, I'm tired)  
> -  
> \----Not gonna lie, I actually really like Kazuichi and he totally deserves some more love! Most of his backstory is in his FTE’s, but it’s essential to understanding his personality. I hope I wrote him okay, I’ve never written him b4~  
> -Oh! If you haven’t seen them yet, I added some sketches to Ch12 as like an actual part of the fic. Idk if I like making the sketches part of the fic though bc it kinda interrupts the reading experience. Let me know what you think~
> 
> \--------Oh, oh! So here are the 3 chapters I have the most progress on rn:  
> -Kokichi + Korekiyo: “Kokichi pushes Kiyo a liiiiitttle too far”  
> -Kirumi + Korekiyo: “Kirumi would just makes suchhhh a good friend for sister”  
> -Ryoma + Mikan: “They catch cats together, that’s literally the chapter”  
> \---------Which would you like to see first? I’ll see if I can chide my brain into cooperating!


	14. (Bonus) Monomi + Monokuma

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter: No Quest in this chapter, a small bonus of the events after the last chapter. You might have to read Ch13 for this to make sense!
> 
> Headcanon Warning: Monokuma's personality isn't based on Junko

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Bullying, Physical Abuse, Choking, Monokuma is a douchebag

 

                “Where’s the despair in this? Monokuma frowned, mimicking an exaggerated yawn as his eyes flickered over the digital displays in front of him. “It’s not going as planned at all…”

                “That’s because love and justice always win in the end!" Monomi chirped happily from her position: dangling by a thick rope from the ceiling of the surveillance room.

                “Shut up!” He hissed, turning his attention to her with anger, “Because of your stupid outfit, I didn’t get to see the despair of Kazuichi shivering like an idiot!” Reaching forward, he whacked the rope with a paw to send Monomi spinning.

                “How was it my fault? I thought you were planning for the glasses to cause despair!”

                “Stupid little sisters should just be quiet!” Huffing in annoyance, he hopped off of the throne he was sitting on in order to bat Monomi harder until she was spinning so fast she could barely see anything in the room.

                “That’s right! I know you chose that outfit because you thought it was cool! You can’t fool—urgh” She groaned against the lightheaded feeling of the room churning.

                “So what?! It was cool compared to the horrible thing you put together. Your outfit was just as lame as you are. You don't even have one ounce of good fashion sense!"

                “I put together an outfit I knew would look good on Ibuki. Unlike you, I wasn’t designing it for myself!”

                “I couldn’t wear it if I wanted to!” He hissed, smacking the spinning bundle of rabbit hard enough that it hit the wall and ejected Monomi onto the tiled floor.

                “Ow!” She shrieked as her soft plush body collided into a row of monitors and rebounded off the tiled floor before coming to a rest beneath his foot. “What do you mean…you were thinking about wearing that outfit? We’re stuffed animals!”

                “No, *you’re* a stuffed animal. I’m an advanced AI!” Monokuma jeered, grinding his foot into her back. “I’m so customized that I even have a good fashion sense! So what if I was thinking about it? I’m not some dumb machine like you.”

                “Owww, stop! That hurts! And just so you know, I’m an AI too! You’re being such a hypocrite! I…I hate you so much right now... Besides the fact that you snap at me like that, I don't trust you at all! Not even a teensy, tiny, 1mm bit!"

                "You seem more pissed than usual these days, Monomi, but you better watch what you say… If I feel like it, I can wipe you out easily, you know…" His voice dropped into a low growl, eyes narrowing in displeasure.

                “…”

                Taking his foot off her back, he turned around, silently returning to his seat on the throne.

 

                Watching him swipe his paw roughly across the display screens, Monomi sighed lightly and brushed the dust off her stomach before standing up. Despite being an advanced AI system, Monokuma was prone to these angry fits whenever things didn’t play out quite how he expected. Just as the Chiaki AI was based on Chiaki Nanami and the Monomi AI was based off of a certain high school teacher, she had a feeling Monokuma was based upon a real person as well.

                Her first instinct was to think Junko Enoshima, the Ultimate Despair, but there was something which immediately told her that was wrong. Compared to Enoshima who constantly flitted through different personalities, centered everything she did upon bringing despair to the planet, and found most everything boring, Monokuma was quite different.

                Glancing over at the throne surrounded by a scattered pile of pillows and blankets, she tilted her plush head in contemplation. Perhaps anyone else would chalk it up to technological discrepancies, but after so many years of teaching students and observing their constantly changing moods, she had an inkling what it might actually be.

                Monokuma was focused upon despair alright, there was no way around it…but it wasn’t necessarily the feeling itself—it was the possible despair which carrying out the plans of the mastermind brought. After being tied up in this room for so long, she clearly noticed the patterns in his conversations and actions. Essentially everything he did centered upon the plans. Whether it was running over the mistakes of the mastermind in the first killing game, sorting through information gathered over the cloud to create possible motives, or intently staring at the security feeds, he almost never spent much time doing anything else.

                He picked on her just like an elementary school bully; that fact paired with the childish giggling he broke into when he was happy…it all reminded her of a small child seeking the approval of a parent.

                Sighing, she slowly made her way toward the throne. It wouldn’t be good if he took his anger out on the students…She should distract him with something else.

                “Monokuma?”

                “…”

_Great…He was ignoring her._

                “Monokuma? Do you want to…Do you want to wear that outfit?”

                “Despite the fact I’m a hyper intelligent AI, my design is this plush bear.” He snapped, whirling around to slap her across the face. “Guess little sisters are never smart in real life huh?”

                “Ow!” She winced, picking herself off the floor to try again. “I could change it…your form I mean, for a little while at least. My programming was originally to be magical girl after all. I was created with natural administrative privileges regarding some things like appearance editing.”

                “Is that so? Then I could just change it myself. I have full control of the system after all.”

                “I…I don’t think so. Because changing your appearance, Monokuma, it has nothing to do with the Mastermind’s plan. It’s not necessary right now…So you wouldn’t be able to access that privilege anytime soon.” She paused, staring at him with a determined expression. “But…since the suppression of my administrative coding is directly under your control, you could partially allow me to access it, and I’d be able to change your form for a few hours.”

                "Monomi…it's not good to lie, you know…"

                “I-I’m not! It’s true! I swear on my heart. A former magical girl would never lie!”

                “…Having arms and legs and fingers *would* make beating you up easier…BUT, you have to change too. I want the satisfaction of seeing your scared, teary face under my fist.” He hummed before leaping over and yanking her into the air by the ears. “I open your access gate for this one change. Alright, do it right now. Don’t keep a big brother waiting!”

                “Ow!” She squeaked, grimacing against the pain to make the necessary changes. The room around them seemed to waver as the environment reloaded.

                And then, instead of rabbit ears, Monokuma was holding her in the air by tufts of hair, his paw transforming into a hand complete with five fingers. He dropped her in an instant, and she yelped in pain as her knees smashed into the hard tiled ground.

                Pulling up a webcam, he smirked, examining his new appearance in the monitor. "Whatcha think? Doesn't it match what you were expecting? This outfit does look way better on me than on Kazuichi…He had the audacity to cover up this awesome shirt with a sweater after all, what a hopeless cub!”

                His semi spiky hair was pulled back into a short tufted ponytail which accented the two-tone spilt in color between white on the right side and black on the left side. In contrast to one regular brown iris, the sclera of the other eye swirled with vibrant red, complimenting glossy, varnished fingernails. Spinning around, He giggled as the tattered strings of the black shirt flew up, sending cold air rippling across his exposed skin. Chains dangling from the embellished black pants jingled as he hopped up, almost tripping due to the tall wedges of platformed shoes, to pull her toward the webcam.

                “Even in human form your design is lame, Puhuhu!”

                She blinked at her image in the monitor and almost flinched back in shock. _That was her?!_

                A small round face framed with short, tufted hair stared back at her mimicking her facial expressions. Like Monokuma, her hair was split almost exactly in half; one pink section and one white section adorned with a small yellow bow. A glossy heart earring dangling from one ear accented the rosy hues of the outfit she’d chosen for Ibuki. The oversized sweater swamped her torso in pastel pink, draping over the top of a pleated skirt of the same color. A pair of yellow striped socks and a matching tie completed the outfit leaving her to stare in dismay at her mismatched eyes. The bright red left eye was really disconcerting in comparison to the brown right eye.

_She did look a bit reminiscent of Monokuma…No wonder the students were hesitant to trust her._

                “Okay, that’s enough gawking!” He grinned widely, yanking her away from the screen. “Let’s play, shall we, sister?”

                “It’s not playing! You’re just gonna beat me up like crazy!” She yelped in pain as he pinched her cheeks roughly.

                “No I won’t, Puhuhuhu!”

                “T-That’s a lie! Ow!”

                "The only lies I tell are friendly lies!"

                “How is pulling my hair friendly?!”

                “Little sisters shouldn’t talk back to their big brothers! Puhuhu!” He cackled, energetically dragging her around the room by a fistful of her hair.

                "Owww…No gratitude… I'm being treated like filth...Ow! That hurts!"

                "Puhuhu… Complain all you like, I'm used to it by now." Picking up the rope from earlier off the ground, he knotted her hands together before binding her arms to her sides and viciously spinning around in place. With no way to stop her body’s momentum as it was dragged along the cold tile, all she could do was grit her teeth against the waves of nausea and wait for him to stop.

                "Such a hateful bear… You deserve to die a thousand deaths…!"

                "Threatening someone like that is sooooooo violent, don'tcha know?" He grinned, letting go of the rope mid-spin so she slammed head first into a wall.

                The room was getting blurry…Monomi groaned against the pounding in her head as knives of pain shot through her skull.

                “Uhhgg…”

                Slashing the ropes around her torso and yanking her by the feet, he dragged her toward the messy pile of pillows surrounding the throne in the center of the room before jumping onto her, straddling her chest tightly enough she had to pant for air.

                “Stop! You’re going to crush me!”

                "…Hm? What are you saying? There's no way a big brother would ever crush his little sister!" He squeezed tighter, the metal spikes and zippers of the pants digging roughly into her flesh. “There’s nothing you can do for those cubs. They’ll lose all hope and submit to despair, just like the Mastermind planned.”

                "Impossible, impossible, impossible, impossible… It's impossible for hope to lose to despair…" She wheezed, feeling hot tears drip down her face, "I-I won't give up...! Even if I have no chance of winning…I…I’ll help them somehow! I'm not gonna let you have the outcome you want!""

                "The Mastermind’s outcome is the only one.” His red eye seemed to glow with cruelty as he leaned forward to yank the striped tie around her neck tight. “I know everything! I am the conqueror of the new world!"

                "I…will no longer…let you do as you please! Eeee!” Monomi broke off with a yelp as he pulled the fabric forcibly, cutting off her windpipe.

                “I could erase your programming and delete you from the system anytime I want…” He yawned. “But getting my paws dirty every once in a while…it’s so much fun…”

                “St…o…p…hhgggg”

                “Buuuut…That’s not in the plan.” He sighed heavily, releasing the tie in order to dig a sharp elbow into her sternum. “I should get back to work. Camera feeds don’t watch themselves.”

                “Hufff…Huff…Hufff…” She heaved, panting to catch her breath as he jammed his elbow roughly into her chest. “Monokuma…”

                “You’re right. I screw around too much…” He exhaled, resting his chin in his hand to peer down at her tear strewn face. “To tell ya the truth, I'm tired! Extremely tired! I feel like spending the rest of my life hibernating already! Man, I know it's bad but I'm so sleepy…” He yawned, gnashing sharp teeth dramatically, “What did you do to me Monomi? Is this some kind of program hack? I’ll delete you if you’re thinking of trying anything.”

                “I-I didn’t do anything!” She gasped, doing her best to breathe against the pain as his weight crushed her chest. “Since you’re classified as a human in the system right now, you feel tired after running around so much…Huff…just like a human would.”

                “That’s no good…change me back Monomi…”

                “I…I can’t…Huff…Changes last until the next server refresh…Huff…In about…Huff…two hours.”

                “Don’t lie to me…Monomi…I have to get back to work…*yawn*…Despair doesn’t create…itself…” His words trailed off as he drowsily collapsed on top of her, filling the room with loud snores.

_Asleep…_

_He was actually asleep…_

_No way…_

                Breathing an audible sigh of relief, she glanced down at the two-toned head on her chest.

 _Falling asleep after running out all his energy…Just like a little kid…_ _What kind of kid had Enoshima met before she created the Monokuma AI?_   She shuddered at the thought of a flesh and blood Monokuma running around in real life.

                Carefully extracting herself out from under him, she hissed under her breath at the pounding pain in her head. Lifting up the bottom of the pink sweater, she grimaced at the sight of blood running down her sides from where the metal decorations of his pants had punctured soft skin. _The pain was a lot more intense than when she was in the form of a stuffed rabbit…_

                Although she tried her best to bandage her torso with ripped strips of fabric from pillow cases, just bending down made her light headed, sending waves of dizziness which dropped her to her knees.

_Doing this to her after she’d gone out of her way to help him…Seriously…he’s like the king of unreasonableness._

_Just two hours…She just needed to last two hours before they reverted back to their bloodless plush forms. She would be fine as soon as the server refreshed…_ Her vision swam, beckoning her to sleep.

 _But…right now Monokuma was down…_ This was a chance she couldn’t waste.

                Grinding her teeth against the excruciating pain of moving, she slowly dragged herself toward the control panel. If she couldn’t remove any quests or deactivate the bracelets for good, the best she could do was dilute the system with harmless missions…And to do that, she’d have to make full use of the two hours.

                Biting down on her lip as hard as possible to stay conscious, she entered line after line of text with trembling fingers.

_Just one more…_

_Just one more after that…_

_Just one more after that…_

                "No matter what happens, I know you'll be alright. If everyone works together, you should be able to stand against any despair…I…believe in you guys.”

                The words were a soft whisper to students not even in the room, but maybe…just maybe…they could feel the raw emotion in her strained voice wherever they were.

                _Just one more…_

_Just one more after that…_

_Just one more after that…_

 

                If it was for them, she could keep typing. She could bear whatever pain she felt right now for just a little bit longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Need help visualizing the room?: <https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch-14-Room-sketch-800005861>
> 
> Full versions of this Ch's Sketches: [Monokuma](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch-14-Monokuma-800006216) | [Monomi](https://www.deviantart.com/sariion-art/art/Ch14-Monomi-Sketch-800006468)  
> -  
> \--Monomi is so fucking underrated! Like she’s honestly such a good teacher who really cares about everyone.  
> -  
> \---Okay...So...writing this chapter made me feel super guilty, so I wrote a more fluffy fic with the two of them. (Human AU, TW for rape/non-con implications (not btwn the two of them)) Please read the tags b4 reading!: ['Pink and Black'](https://archiveofourown.org/works/19088815/chapters/45350359)


	15. Kirumi + Kokichi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Tea Party”  
> “Students: Kokichi Oma, Kirumi Tojo”
> 
> Warning: Some unreliable narration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Minor Injury
> 
> -Kitchen Island: It’s like a little piece of counter installed in the middle of some kitchens (Kinda like someone chopped off a piece of a mini bar and just placed it in the middle of the floor). Usually you can put some stools on the side away from the stove, and people use it to prepare food on when there isn’t much counter space.

                Kirumi smiled gently as she pushed open the kitchen door and entered the dining room balancing several trays in her hands. Usually Kokichi was quite picky with the food he ate so she had been especially careful to prepare a variety of small snacks to accompany the tea. Actually, she hummed to herself; this would be a good opportunity to see what kind of foods he preferred, for future reference.

                “Wow this is a lot of food!” Kokichi cheered excitedly as he perked up in his chair, staring at the  platters of small cakes and snacks with sparkles in his eyes. “You're spoiling me Mom!  What are you going to do if I get fat because of this? Childhood obesity is really an issue you know!”

                “If your weight is something that you are concerned about Kokichi, there is no need to worry. I am more than happy to give you a warning when you have eaten more than half of a day's recommended calories for your weight group.”

                “You're really such a mom aren't you?”

                "Please do not call me a mother… We are the same age."  Kirumi sighed gently, pouring steaming tea into a small teacup before cleaning across the table to set it in front of him. “That can be taken as an insult for a woman. Think about it before you say it.”

                “Whhhhaaaaaa! You don’t want to be my mom?!”

                “No. I do not, Kokichi.”

                “Aw, you’re no fun.” He sighed, running a sleeve across his face to wipe away crocodile tears before dropping a sugar cube into his teacup. “Next thing you know you’re going to tell me you’re a lie detector too. I’m starting to think you’d make a better robot than Kiibo…Of course that’s not saying a lot.”

                "Like I told you before, I am not an all-knowing, perfect machine. I am just like you… An inexperienced highschooler. I have weaknesses and strengths. Just as you cannot stop lying, there is a weakness I cannot overcome... It is my most fearful enemy. …konjac…I cannot cut konjac…"

                “Woah, woah, woah, one, lying is *not* a weakness, it’s a skill. Two, I can control it, who do you think I am?” Sticking out his tongue while somehow simultaneously managing a laugh, he shot her a nasty smirk. “And three, konjac? Really?! Like the vegetable?”

                “Yes, like the vegetable.” She sighed, taking a long sip of tea, “By the way, what time is it Kokichi? I’m afraid I forgot my watch today.”

                “A quarter past midnight!”

                Raising one eyebrow, she tilted her head slightly toward the bright afternoon sun streaming through the window and gave him a pointed look.

                “Wha—That was purposeful! Purposeful! I just wanted to make you think you were hallucinating!” He huffed, dumping several more sugar cubes into the small cup, and stirring the liquid so forcefully that most of it splashed onto the tablecloth.

                Letting out a small exhale, she picked up a napkin off the stack on the table and held it toward him. Incredulously he looked into her expectant olive eyes.

                “Aren't you a maid?”

                “Yes. I am a maid. I am not your mother. You should know by now to clean up your own messes.” She sighed as he glared in her direction, pointedly folding his arms to ignore the napkin in her hand. “I do not want to be your mother Kokichi. I would much rather be your friend.”

                “My friend? Really? Even knowing how dangerous it is to be the friend of an evil supreme leader? You’ll probably be hurt or even killed if you hang around me too much…” His posture instantly changed as he perked up in his chair, setting his elbows on the table to stare into her eyes. “But you said it, so no take backs! Let’s toast! To our new friendship!”

                “I would like to inform you that this is not proper tea etiquette.” Kirumi’s mouth crinkled with amusement as Kokichi excitedly clinked his teacup against hers before bringing it to his lips.

                “I’m holding out my pinky, so it’s totally proper! By the way, this tastes awful Kirumi…”

                “Tea isn’t meant to be taken with so much sugar…and I know you didn’t actually drink any of it.”

                He quickly smothered the brief flash of surprise on his face with an exasperated pout. “I’m not reaaaallly a tea person y’know? Prefer soda any day~”

                “Kokichi…this is supposed to be a tea party.”

                “Tea parties are banned from my organization.” He chirped, absently dumping several additional sugar cubes into his cup. “It’s a rule that you can only drink soda.”

                “I thought you were worried about childhood obesity?”

                “That’s right! I totally forgot!” Grinning, he stabbed at the cubes, breaking them up into smaller pieces. “Wanna join my organization Kirumi? The waitlist is usually suuuper long, but I can make an exception for you. Every Supreme Leader needs an assistant to keep him on track.”

                “Perhaps when we get out of here, you can hire me.” She smiled gently, taking another sip of tea, “I must warn you; however, that I do have certain moral and ethical limitations to what I will do for a client.”

                “Who says we’re going to ever get out of here?”

                “Excuse me?”

                “What if we’re trapped here forever? What if there isn’t anything waiting out there for us? No world to go back to?” He jammed the stirring rod into the bottom of his teacup with force. “Actually, because my organization is a global power, I know it. The entire world is dead out there! We’re the only ones left.”

                “Kokichi…”

                “Just kidding! That was a lie! Because, y’know, I’m a liar.”

                “That is nothing to tell falsehoods about…I am not amused.” She frowned, firmly setting her cup down on its coaster.

                "You're so close-minded. Don't get your panties in a bunch from a couple of lies." Humming cheerily, he leaned back in his chair to stare at the domed ceiling. “But staying here…it might not be that bad.”

                “Staying here? As in staying in this school by choice?”

                "Yeeeeah, I guess. It's not exactly home sweet home, but it'll do. Maybe I can retire from my organization and stay here for the rest of my life… That's probably better for the world too… O-kay! I've decided! I vow to never leave this place… for the good of the world! But you have to stay with me, Kirumi. We gotta be trapped here together forever, okay!?"

                “I do not think I will be staying here if we create the opportunity to escape.”

                “You said you’d be my friend…but you’d leave me here all alone, just like everyone else, huh?” He grinned harder, staring into the sugary mess in his teacup, “You know…I hate liars.”

                “There is an obvious solution to your point of concern.” She leaned forward, picking up two éclairs and setting them side by side on his portion of the table. “You come with us when we all leave. We’d still be friends as long as we are together, correct? It doesn’t matter if we stay in this school or not.”

                Flicking one éclair back into the pile of snacks, he absently stared at the remaining dessert. “ _When_ we leave…”

                "That is correct. ‘When’ not ‘If.’” Kirumi frowned internally at his hesitation. “People fear stagnation… If you are swallowed by complacency, then you will forget to fight. Please, you must continue to remember your desire to escape. You must not be tamed by this place."

                “You really do want to leave so badly…” _Sometimes I wonder what you’d do to escape…_ “Why? What’s your motive?”

                "As I have said…my only desire is to fulfill the desires of others. Until we escape, I intend to serve everyone. And after we return to the outside world, I am sure I have a master who is waiting for me.”

                “That’s booorrring!” He yawned dramatically, letting out a big sigh, “What’s *your* motive to leave? And don’t give me that weird maid shtick again; everyone has their own selfish reasons…it’s just human nature.”

                Kirumi blinked in surprise, setting a hand on her chin to think. _Her *own* motive…One from the bottom of her heart for no one other than herself…_ It was hard to think of anything she wanted for herself. How long had it been since she thought that way? Due to the sheer amount of jobs and requests she fulfilled on a day to day basis, she was usually much too busy to give into her own whims. _Something she wanted to do…That she couldn’t do in the school…That wasn’t for anyone else… She wanted to serve her master and complete the jobs she had likely started before she was kidnapped…No, that wasn’t selfish…She had been meaning to check up on the mahjong politician to see how he was doing, it had been a while since they’d chatted over the phone—No that was for someone else…Oh, maybe…?_

                “When we return to the outside world, I want to finish taking the cheese pairing classes I started. Is that an acceptable answer?”

                “Cheese pairing?”

                “Correct, they were a series of courses designed to help maids learn which cheeses pair well with specific types of wines and alcohols to bring out the best flavors in both. Despite how it sounds, the classes were actually…‘fun’…I believe.”

                “Nishishishi, that’s really lame, Mo _—_ Kirumi.” He grinned lazily, twirling a lock of purple hair around one finger as he stared out the window. “Well, okay, what do you say we get out of here right now?”

                “Unless I am mistaken, I do not believe that is possible.”

                “It’s easy, all we have to do is burn this place to the ground. Reduce the whole school to ashes.”

                “And how would you propose we leave?” She sighed, leaning over to pick up a small sandwich off the pile. “There are no doors out of this dining room-kitchen combo, and our bracelets are set to shock us if we attempt to leave the vicinity before completing this quest.”

                “I don’t mean *now* now, silly, I mean after this whole quest thing is done! Just you and me, we’ll incinerate this school to the ground!”

                “But…Then you’d be burning your friends as well.”

                “What frie _—_ Ohhh, the other students? I don’t care, they can burn! …Well…Maaayyybe we can bring Shuumai and Kayayday with us…and Gonta might be useful…and possiblyyyy Ryoma…my organization could use another hitman…and…”

                “Kokichi…If we come up with a plan, we should really discuss it with everyone first.” Her stern gaze bored into his from across the table. “They say unnecessary killing can result in vengeful spirit hauntings.”

                “H-Hauntings? Really?” He squeaked, eyes widening in surprise.

                “Truly.”

                “I…I might have to rethink this plan…” Humming in thought, he chewed his nail while distractedly dropping several more sugar cubes into his cup.

                Kirumi grimaced at the sight of white crystals spilling over the rim of the overflowing cup, and discreetly moved the sugar bowl out of his reach before turning her attention to the sandwich in her hand. “Kokichi…If you ever decide to burn down the school please let me know first. I’m…sure I could be of help. I do have experience with fires.”

                “Whoah! You’re an arson?! That’s so cool!”

_Any normal person may have asked if she liked to go camping, or had training as a volunteer firefighter…But of course he would automatically jump to the furthest possible conclusion. At this point she wasn’t surprised anymore…which probably wasn’t a good thing._

                "No, however, I have training in fire control. One of my past clients was a politician who needed someone to supervise controlled burns on his private property, a large farm. I must excel in many things if I wish to complete all the requests given to me…So please do not hesitate to request my assistance if you ever require it Kokichi."

                “I want to poison someone. Could you help me with that Kirumi?”

                “Is this another falsehood? Poisoning someone is a very serious matter; it is nothing to joke about Kokichi.”

                “What if it wasn’t? What if it wasn’t a lie or a joke? Would you do it?…For me?”

                “I’m afraid that is a request I would have to deny. I am truly sorry.”

                His purple eyes shot up from where they were focused down on his cup with an impish sparkle, “Nishishi, too bad, maybe you’ll change your mind later. As a Supreme Leader, I have the patience not to give up.”

                “Kokichi…It is a lie that you want me to poison someone, correct?”

                "If I gave you honest answers now, it'd just make everything boring, riiiight?" He smirked, fingers playing with strands of purple hair as he met her gaze, silently daring her to contradict him.

                “Answering questions honestly is the mature thing to do.” She sighed, taking a bite of sandwich. “However, there is no need to worry, I am not an expert in the area of toxins by any means. Although those types of jobs often crop up, I do not have a policy of accepting many of them. There is something distasteful about mixing deceit and good cooking.”

 _There’s something distasteful about lying._ Kokichi let the unspoken words slip across his mind as he stared into the pattern of sugar granules scattered across the tablecloth, a reward from his vicious, energetic stirring. “I can’t believe it! You’ve ruined alllll my plans Kirumi! Now I have to think of a new strategy all over again! You’re lucky my henchmen aren’t here, I’d normally have you beheaded for this, but I don’t have time to get my hands dirty now that I have so much work to do!”

                “I apologize for the inconvenience. If there is anything else, please don’t hesitate to let me know.”

                “Fine, I want you to polish my shoes.” He chuckled at the surprised expression on her face.

                "…I do not mind. To serve others is a maid's duty."

                “That was a lie…Kirumi…If you want to join my evil organization you have to be smarter. I mean, come on, that’s clearly something only Miu would request! That shameless, sorry excuse for a cu—”

                “Kokichi, I understand.”

                “Good! Anyways, gimme some time to think, it shouldn’t take long to think of something just as diabolical as burning down the school…”

                A comfortable silence settled over the table as she nibbled on the cucumber-cream cheese sandwich and he ran his pointer finger over the table, miming at drawing out complicated diagrams for some sort of future scheme. It was extremely rare to see him so focused and silent, and she caved, allowing herself a few minutes to enjoy the peace and quiet before addressing the issue at hand.

 

                “Kokichi…are my preparations not to your liking? You…haven’t touched the food.”

                “Oh sorry, I'm actually allergic to sugar so I don't think I can eat any of this stuff. It looks really good though.” He blinked, looking up from the tablecloth to give her an apologetic grin.

                “I see…You don't have to worry though, Kokichi, half the food I prepared is sugar-free or created with sugar substitutes. All of the cakes and snacks on this side of the table are safe for you to try so go ahead there's no need to hold back.” She glanced up at the ceiling pensively before nodding to herself, “Yes, I do also believe the tea is sugar-free and caffeine-free as well, so if you would like to try it, I’d be more than happy to pour you a new cup.”

                “I also can't have gluten and I'm a vegan…”

                “Kokichi… these are dietary restrictions which you need to tell me. If you told me earlier I would have made sure to prepare your food accordingly. Nevertheless, I can assure you these red velvet cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and carrot cake slices are all sugar free, gluten-free, and vegan. And there is absolutely no reason that I can't make some small recipe changes for the rest of the food I cook, Kokichi, it's really not a big deal, honestly.”

                “Okay, ya got me!” He chirped lazily, lacing fingers behind his head as he rocked in his chair. “Those were all lies. I’m just not hungry right now!~”

 _Maids require the ability to sense their master's thoughts._ That was something Kirumi had learned over the years. Although many would assume that a master would clearly dictate what he wanted, that was never truly the case. There were many jobs on which what the master told her to do was actually quite the opposite of what he wanted. And while she couldn’t truly read minds, being observant of body language and interpreting hidden meanings in conversations were things she had becomes quite adept at.

                 _Body language…_ Despite how many of her colleagues said it wasn't a reliable way to understand a master’s thoughts, it was her preferred method. The reason behind this was simple: it is the most direct and natural indicator of a person's true emotions. This is because no matter how the person twists their words, body language always betrays how they're actually feeling—and it is impossible to consciously alter body language 100% of the time. Although a person can lie to others extremely easily, it is extremely difficult to lie to oneself. Therefore an observant maid can always eventually uncover a person's true feelings and emotions by keeping a careful watch on his/her body language.

                She was a little proud to say that after spending so long with the students, she could read their body language and true meanings decently well. It was a little harder with Kokichi than the others because she could tell he made an almost constant effort to change up his body language from its natural state, but nevertheless, as much as he tried to hide them, she had still picked up on some of his tells. They were quite subtle like the way he sometimes picked at the tips of his hair with one hand, or made the exaggerated effort to look carefree in stressful situations, or hid his eyes with his bangs by tilting his chin down to indirectly avoid making eye contact, but they were definitely there.

                 As they talked, she had observed the way his eyes wandered around the room, carefully mapping out their surroundings before always returning to linger on the array of small snacks and cakes. It was clear that he was interested in them, yet he hadn't made a move to bring anything to his mouth. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't seen him at breakfast or lunch or dinner yesterday…or the day before…or the day before that.  _When was the last time he eaten? And *no*, snacks and soda did not count._ It was highly likely that his statement about not being hungry was a false one. If so, if he was truly hungry, why hadn't he eaten anything?  She frowned internally, doing her best to rack her brain for possible reasons—it didn't take long to come up with an explanation which fit.

_Yes. That would explain it. That would actually explain a lot._

                “Oh, it seems the tea is cold.” She stood up, gathering the plates, teacups, and clearly still steaming teapot back onto her tray. “I understand, my preparations are not up to par for a Supreme Leader such as yourself. Please forgive me. I shall prepare a new round from scratch immediately. Kokichi, would you like to supervise my arrangements to ensure they are to your liking?”

                “Hmph, if I have to.” He didn’t skip a beat, leaping out of his chair to follow her into the kitchen.

 

                “Is there anything in particular you’d like to eat?”

                “Let me think…”

                She hummed, carefully wrapping up the remaining snacks from earlier in cling wrap to share with the other Ultimates later. Luckily, there weren’t too many dishes to wash, and by the time she carefully set dried plates back into the cabinets, Kokichi had settled down on top of the marble counter of the kitchen island with an impish smirk on his face.

                “I got it, I want to eat konnyaku.”

                Konnyaku…The traditional Japanese jelly was somewhat flavorless, known for being a health food, featured in many noodle recipes…and most importantly of all…It was made of konjac…

                “With tea…Are you sure?”

                “Yeah!”

                “I-I’m not sure if I have the ingredients…”

                “You mean *THESE*?” He cackled, hoisting what looked to be a large potato sack onto the marble counter beside him. “I found them over there in the corner.”

                And sure enough, a pile of brown hairy root vegetables knotted into strange shapes greeted her eyes as soon as she opened the bag.

_Konjac…_

_Her mortal enemy…_

                “So we meet again, cursed potatoes…” She narrowed her eyes at the bulbous tubers as she emptied them out into the sink for easy peeling access.

                “Do ya need a recipe? I could probably ask Monokuma for one.”

                “There is no need Kokichi, I have the recipe memorized, I’ve attempted to make konnyaku so many times.” Tying an apron around her waist, she pulled a cutting board from a cabinet along with a medium sized knife. “I cannot guarantee this will work well; however, because it is your request, I will try my hardest.”

                The steps: 1. Cut the Konjac in halves to make peeling easier

                                 2. Peel the tough, brown, exterior skin off with a knife

                                 3.The remaining steps were extremely simple, consisting of blending the peeled vegetable along with water and some other additives before boiling the resulting mixture until it thickened. Then, the gelatinous substance was set into a mold to harden.

                Simple. The recipe was super simple. The problem? She could never make it past step two.

                It made no sense—honestly—it made no sense whatsoever. She could peel potatoes and carrots and daikon radish perfectly fine—in fact, peeling vegetables was actually something she enjoyed doing. But as soon as it came to Konjac, all her experience just seemed to fly out the window. Wait, forget ‘fly out the window,’ that was an understatement, more like “shot out of the window like a rocket missile launching at high speeds from a bazooka.’

                They were just so slippery…Which made zero sense because they weren’t even wet. Groaning, she took off her black gloves, stuffing them into the apron pocket, as she vied for better grip. Eventually, she had a basket of halved tubers. Now, all that was left was to peel them…Easier said than done.

                “Everyone has a weakness… That much is natural… However, weakness must be confronted… Weakness must be overcome… But this…konjac… I cannot slice this… Why must this give me such trouble…? If this weakness is taken advantage of one day… No… There is no point thinking about that… Because I must…I must overcome it today."

                “Kirumi, are you talking to yourself? Nishishi.” He giggled, purple eyes filled with sparkling amusement as he watched her hands wrestle with the root vegetables.

                She didn’t make any indication that she heard him at all, utterly and completely focused upon the task at hand.

                If she sliced too deep, most of the flesh would come away with the skin, barely leaving anything left after the konjac half had been peeled. On the other hand, if she didn’t cut deep enough, only part of the thick skin would be removed, leaving small sections of inedible brown stuff she had to go back and excise. Long ago, she’d tried to use a vegetable peeler, but it just made more work because the skin was so uneven and dented and twisted in comparison to a normal potato.

                The best strategy she’d found so far was to set the cut side of the half down on the cutting board, use her left hand to hold it down, and then cut at small angles away from herself to slowly chip away at the skin. And that worked well enough for the circumference...but the top was a different story. Attempting to maneuver the partially peeled, oddly shaped, glistening root as she hacked away at the strange knots on the top was honestly a little nerve wracking as the pieces always managed to shoot out of her grasp and skitter across the counter when she was least expecting it.

                “Woah, you’re awful at this! Nee-heehee…”

                “As I’ve told you before Kokichi, just as everyone else has their weaknesses, this is mine.”

                “Ooooh, you’ve figured out everyone’s weaknesses? I was totally right to scout you, you’d be extremely useful in my organization.” He grinned, tapping a pointer finger against his lips in thought. “Okay, what’s Shuichi’s weakness?”

                “I didn’t mean ‘weaknesses’ in that way, but…He has a tendency to worry himself too much about situational details when he should be taking some time to relax.” Shifting her grip on a section of konjac, she sighed. “Having the self confidence to believe in his ability is another thing I would suggest; however, I believe Kaede has already talked to him about that…”

                “Not bad, what about Kaede then? Surely she’s perfect!”

                “She can be a little too idealistic for her own good. Part of her confidence in others comes from a confidence in herself which undoubtedly took years to build up. It can be a little much…but, at times, it feels nice to have someone else believe in you.”

                “What about me?”

                “You don’t always have to try and do everything yourself, Kokichi.” The response was immediate and straight forward, spoken without hesitation. “It would do some good to remember that you, me, and everyone else here are working toward the same goal—”

                “And you! Do you know what your weakness is Kirumi?” He snapped, cutting her off and continuing on before she had a chance to reply. “Well, since I’m feeling nice, I’ll tell you. You’re a liar. A. Liar. You’re a liar, Kirumi, and I HATE liars.”

                “While I am not perfect, and I do not always tell the truth, I can assure you that all of the statements I’ve made in the past fifteen minutes were all the unadulterated and complete truth—”

                Without a second’s warning, the half-peeled section of konjac shot out from beneath her fingers, hurtling off the cutting board and onto the ground. The knife, which was already in motion to make a cut, sliced down upon the back of her left hand, sending an arc of crimson splattering onto the counter.

                “Ah.” She blinked in surprise at the sight of blood pooling from the cut in her hand. It didn’t hurt yet, the pain would arrive later after the shock and adrenaline had died down. Grimacing against light headedness which caused her to lean heavily against the counter, she quickly flipped open the drawer beside the sink, grabbing the first aid kit she had spotted earlier while preparing tea. _Thirty seconds. She had about thirty seconds before the shock kicked in._

                First Aid training was a critical and basic part of any maid’s primary classes. Although blood made it difficult to see, the fact that she could still move her fingers was a good sign. _No major nerve or muscle damage. Reflexes had most likely lessened the blow before metal entered her skin…._

 _Wash the wound quickly to assess damage…_ Just as she had expected, the cut wasn’t extremely deep. _It’s not that bad._ _Dry the area around it… Twenty seconds…_

_White stuff on the Red stuff._

                Ripping open a package of gauze with her teeth, she quickly covered the injury, holding the absorbent and sterile cloth to the wound while simultaneously applying pressure. _Ten seconds…_  A linen roller bandage would likely be the quickest way to secure the gauze, and it would likely be her best bet to hold pressure for a little while as her fingers were already beginning to get shaky.

 _Three_.

                She looped the cloth around her hand again.

_Two._

                Around the thumb to secure it…Tuck in the end to ensure it stays in place…

_One._

                She barely had time to lean over the counter and brace her elbows before the white hovering on the edges of her vision flooded in to whitewash the room. The sun shining through the small kitchen window was so bright, it almost felt blinding as her body forced her to breathe.

                The air was heavy.

                The kitchen felt hot.

                 She couldn’t hear anything over the pounding in her head.

                Okay…So maybe it hadn’t *really* been a *little* cut…But it wasn’t anything life threatening…And this *definitely* wasn’t the first time she had cut herself while facing off against konjac.

                 She sighed with relief as the worst of the shock passed as fast as it had hit, and she could once again form coherent thoughts. Taking five deep breaths to ground herself after the room returned to its natural colors, she picked up the knife and moved to the sink to disinfect it with boiling water—only to almost drop it again as Kokichi’s voice pierced the silence.

                “Wh-what are you doing?!”

 _Right. He was here too._ During the commotion, he’d been so uncharacteristically silent that she’d almost forgotten… Turning to where he was still sitting at the kitchen island, she managed a small smile. “I am continuing on so I can fulfill your request.”

                “…” The neutral expression he had been wearing a moment earlier twisted seamlessly into a frown of disgust as he casually lifted a hand to examine his fingernails. “You can stop. I’m obviously not going to eat anything contaminated with your blood…Yeah! That’s crazy.”

                “Do not worry.” She hummed, moving the cutting board to the sink to pour boiling water over it before wiping down the counter with a disinfecting wipe. “It is the most elementary of precautions for all maids to be fully vaccinated, so you can be assured I am not carrying any blood borne illnesses. More importantly, nothing got on the vegetables; however, I will still wash them before they’re boiled as an additional precaution.”

                “There’s nothing more unsettling than knowing someone cut herself right next to your food. I’m not going to eat that. I don’t care if it’s boiled!”

                “I…I understand. Of course. That was extremely inconsiderate of me. There is still two-thirds of a bag of uncut konjac. I am more than happy to start from scratch. I will use a different knife and cutting board, so there is no need to worry—”

                *Bam*

                The sound of palms slamming down upon the marble counter abruptly cut off her words as she whirled around to check what had happened…Only to turn right into Kokichi’s furious gaze.

                “I. Said. Stop. So. STOP.”

                “Kokichi, I am quite alright. You said you wanted to eat konnyaku, so I will fulfill that request—”

                “NO! I don’t want to eat it, okay?! It was a lie! I was lying!”  Purple eyes shook with rage as he smacked the counter over and over again, emphasizing each word with a loud bang. “Cuz I’M. A. LIAR!”

                “…It is not a problem, Kokichi. I understand.” Taking a deep breath, she quickly scooped the halved pieces of konjac into a large mixing bowl before setting it into the refrigerator. _Gloves? That was a good idea._ Pulling a black glove over the bandaged hand made her wince internally, but she was more than willing to bear the brief flash of pain to cover up the injury marker.

                Years on the job had taught her it was best to allow people to sort through their thoughts and simmer down when they were angry, so she was more than content to let him stew as she puttered around the kitchen, cleaning up and brainstorming.

 _Was he angry at her? Undoubtedly. Why?_ She made several mistakes today during the duration of their time in the quest room together. First, she hadn’t invited him into the kitchen while she prepared the first round of tea and snacks. Since she spent so much time in the small cooking area working on so many different items, the suspicion factor had probably risen. Second, she had been slow and clumsy in fulfilling her task, even injuring herself which had made him lose his appetite. Third, she hadn’t realized his request for konnyaku was a lie…Something he apparently been expecting her to call him out on.

                Those three mistakes were the only reasons she could possibly think of. Likely, it wasn’t one of them, but rather, all three put together…

                As a maid, this amount of failure was unacceptable; however, not even she had the power to alter the past. She glanced over his hunched body as he sat cross legged, slowly tearing apart a roll of paper towels, on the kitchen island. Only the slight twitching in his left leg betrayed a suppressed instinct to flee. The one thing left to do was fulfill his unspoken request: to leave this quest room.

_What were the essentials of a tea party? Tea and a snack or two._

                Tea was easy and could be prepared in a couple of minutes. She just needed to find some sort of tea he would drink. The snack on the other hand…Something which wouldn’t take more than an hour to put together, but was something he would enjoy…With not too many ingredients…From what she could tell, he really liked fun, brightly colored foods, but the vast majority of dessert recipes would take much longer than one hour to prepare and bake and cool. _Something which was fun, simple, tasted sweet, and didn’t require oven time…Ah, yes, that might work._

 

                “Kokichi?” She gently tapped his shoulder as she set down a large bowl on the marble next to his slumbering form. “Kokichi? Would you like to make this with me?”

                “Yaaawwwn…” He dramatically rubbed ‘sleep’ from his eyes before shooting up to give her an energetic nod. “What are we making?”

                “I thought it might be fun to make jello.” She smiled, setting a stack of small, squarish boxes of flavored gelatin powder alongside the bowl. “Do you want to choose which flavor we do? We can even mix a couple if you want different colors.”

                “Jello?! Woah! I love jello!” He excitedly snatched up the boxes, vibrating with energy as he lined them up on the counter. “Red…Blue…Green…Purple…Pink…Orange…Yellow…I can’t decide! Can we do allll of them? Rainbow jello!”

                “Ah…” Kirumi murmured in contemplation, “It has been a while since I’ve made jello, but I don’t think the colors will stay if we mix them all together, it might just make the dessert black…How about this, Kokichi, choose one color that you really like, and we can add these rainbow gummy worms to make it more colorful.”

                “I choose blue! Blue’s an eeeeevil color!” Grabbing the bag of gummy worms from her hand, he grinned, testing the factory seal on the pouch before ripping it open and throwing a couple into his mouth. “Mmmm…these are good.”

                She emptied two packets of blue raspberry gelatin into the large mixing bowl before grabbing the electric kettle and pouring a layer of boiling water over the powder. “We have to wait a bit before adding the gummy worms. If we do it right now, they’ll…compost…into the hot water.”

                “Nooooo! They can’t compost!” He wailed dramatically, making a big show of setting down the bag of gummies as far away as possible. “Can I stir? Can I? Can I?”

                “Of course. …That looks good…Okay, now you can add this in. It’s a mix of ice and cold water to help it set faster. Oh, be careful, if you stir too hard, it’ll splash over the sides…I’ll pour it into this pyrex mold for the fridge…Now that the mixture is cooler, you can add the worms.” A small smile tugged at her lips as she watched him carefully distribute colorful gummies into the jello, being extra cautious to spread them out. “I’m glad you find it fun. The children of some of my clients used to ask me to do this with them all the time…I guess it’s a childhood memory, making jello with your parents…”

                “……I’ll put this in the fridge!” His mouth stretched into a wide caricature of happiness as he hopped off the kitchen island, carefully balancing the dish in both hands. Kirumi opened the refrigerator door  for him before turning her attention to the dirty bowl and spatula.

                He stood there with his torso hidden within the cooling embrace of the fridge for a long time, and she pretended not to notice, lightly rescrubbing the clean bowl as water poured from the faucet, crashing into the stainless-steel sink basin.

 

                “Would you like to do the honors?”

                “You’re handing me a knife? Me? A Knife? Kokichi Oma x Knife?! Really?”

                “Is there a problem?” She frowned slightly at the incredulous expression on his face. “If you are not comfortable cutting the jello, I’d be more than willing to—”

                “No take backs! Nishishi” He giggled, turning his attention to the glass dish which he energetically began attacking. By the time he had run out of energy and tossed the knife into the sink, the jello existed in a state of oddly shaped ribbons and uneven rectangles, but you couldn’t say it *wasn’t* sliced…

                “Will you try some, Kokichi?”

                “It’s too hot!”

                “It has been in the refrigerator for the past 60 minutes…” She handed him a fork before popping a small corner square of the dessert into her mouth. “It is cold, I promise.”

                “I don’t want to get a brain freeze. They’re really dangerous y’know?”

                “Fridge. Not freezer.” She chewed another cube slowly, savoring the lightly sweet flavor. It wasn’t every day that she had jello. _Making it more often might be beneficial…_ It tasted a bit like artificial sweeteners and a bit like childhood.

                “We didn’t cover it when we put it in the fridge. What if it’s full of salmonella?”

                “We did cover it. You were the one who placed cling wrap over it, remember Kokichi?” Spearing a third piece, she made a move to bring her fork to her mouth before he suddenly snaked forward, intercepting it with his hand.

                “I want that one.”

                “Although I am a maid, I would like to politely refuse your request. You see…I’ve already put this utensil in my mouth and there is no way to sanitize jello without it falling apart—”

                “I want that one.” His irises sharpened as they stared into her’s in a silent challenge.

                “I understand.” Folding, she handed him her fork, watching with slowly dawning realization as he popped the cube of jello into his mouth before handing it back.

                “This tastes…awful.”

                “Is that a true statement?”

                “No…I just…I’ve never had jello before…” He swallowed thickly, feeling the lump of sweet dessert slide down his throat. _His chest felt tight…It felt like he couldn’t breathe._ Gasping for air sent a small piece of jello down his windpipe, prompting a sudden and sharp coughing fit.

                She blinked in surprise before reaching across the counter to pull a freshly brewn pot of tea toward her. “Although jello’s gelatinous, you still need to chew it. Here, drink this. I know you dislike tea; however, I made sure to steep this batch of green tea very shortly. It should essentially just taste like water.”

                “Supreme Leaders don’t *cough* drink tea *cough* only soda.”

                “There’s water in all carbonated beverages.” She made eye contact briefly, pulling the teacup to her lips to take a sip of the tea before holding it back out toward him. “It is neither scalding nor freezing. It is safe.”

                Hesitantly, he brought the cup to his mouth as his eyes darted across her face. “Hey, I’m supposed to be the liar here! This doesn’t taste like water, this tastes like grass! But then again…all tea kind of tastes like that doesn’t it? Just kidding! Y’know, I’ve never had tea before either.”

                “Is that another false statement?”

                "Who can say? I've been lying so much lately that I can't even tell what's true or not anymore." His voice was a little bit uneven, despite his best efforts to sound nonchalant as he stared into the wobbly expanse of jello in the pyrex.

                "You know…Making jello together…It doesn't have to be a parent-child activity. It can be an endeavor between friends as well, Kokichi."

                …

                *Click* Two loud clatters echoed through the kitchen as the metal bracelets tumbled to the ground. _Quest Complete._

                “Thanks for the food, Mo—Kirumi! That was fun! We should do it again sometime!” He startled her, diving in energetically to tightly squeeze her waist in a brief hug before dashing out the newly unlocked door. “Just kidding! That was alllll a lie!”

 _Ah…_ She hummed pensively, looking down. There were two small, dark splotches on the front of her dress from where his face had pressed into her chest.

                “Kokichi?” Poking her head out the door, she followed his moving form with her eyes. “I’m making lasagna for dinner tonight! Do you want to come watch me make it?!”

                “I only eat rice for dinner!”

                “I can replace the top half of noodles with rice! Korekiyo prefers eastern style food anyways, so it’ll be a good mix of cuisine!”

                “That sounds terrible!”

                “I guarantee it will taste good!”

                “…I might be able to make room in my busy schedule! No promises though, Supreme Leaders are busy! Need to spread chaos around the world, y’know?!”

                “I’ll see you tonight, Kokichi!”

                Turning back into the kitchen to carefully wrap everything onto small plates she could carry back to the main building to share with the others, Kirumi hummed softly to herself. If watching her prepare food was all it took for him to eat, she was more than willing to invite him to oversee her meal preparations. It was actually pretty relieving knowing that was all it was… She’d honestly started to think he had some sort of psychological aversion to eating anything other than junk food.

                Now that she thought about it… _Why hadn’t she realized sooner?_ He essentially ate nothing except prepackaged foods like soda, chips, and processed snacks. At the beginning, he would eat a plate of plain white rice at meal times, occasionally sneaking bites off the plate of whoever was sitting next to him. But ever since Shuichi’s lab had opened up a few days ago, he’d been avoiding the dining room altogether. _It was so clear…Why hadn’t she connected the pieces earlier?_ She’d been so worried with everything going on, but that was no excuse.

 _Maids must be observant of the smallest of details! Do not make this mistake again._ She chided herself firmly as she changed the bloodied dressings on her hand. Thankfully, it seemed as if the bleeding had stopped. _The wound won’t hinder dinner preparations at all when I start on them in a few hours. If I'm careful…Perhaps he’ll eat with us today…_

                And that night, after perching himself on a counter in the kitchen to watch her cook with keen, excited eyes, he did join them at the large rectangular dining table.

                “Kayyyyaayyyydayyyy, switch plates with me, pleeeeaase?”

                “Are you sure you don’t mind?” She hummed, waving her silverware at the small indent in her food where she had already eaten a couple of forkfuls out of the portion.

                “I already got my cooties vaccination!~” He chirped nonchalantly, before taking a bite of lasagna off Kaede’s—now his—plate. “This…isn’t terrible…Shuichi! Try it!”

                “W-What? Kokichi…We’re all eating the same stuff…”

                “Try it!”

                “W-Wha—Umph”

                “Kokichi, don’t just shove food into people’s mouths. That’s a choking hazard!”

                Normally she would say more, maybe even scold him for bringing his childish act to dinner, but to be honest, the pianist had been starting to get a little worried about not seeing him in the dining room all week. Kirumi met her eyes from across the table, silently mouthing 'Thank You,' and Kaede grinned, winking back. 'Same.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Wow this chapter just randomly jumped into my head out of nowhere~ (don’t worry, I’m still working on the others) ((Was this too long? Oof, sorry if it was, I kinda got carried away)  
> \--It’s totally realistic for her to have the konnyaku recipe memorized, bc my mortal baking enemy is cinnamon rolls, and I’ve failed at making them so many times that I basically have the recipe down and they’re kinda complex to make in comparison. (Fucking cinnamon rolls, I swear…one day…one day)  
> -No, shock doesn’t really work like that, I just think the timer concept is fun lol  
> -Sorry, updates might be a little slow, I just started my summer job and I’m not gonna lie, I’m so tired that I keep falling asleep halfway through writing haha. Fun fact: I figured out how to set up voice typing on my computer just to type half of this chapter bc my wrist hurts like hell rn (don’t worry, I’m icing it). That’s another reason why this took so long to write, but I really wanted to get it out, so screw wrist pain!


	16. Kokichi + Kaito

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Share the Same Bed for a Night”  
> “Students: Kokichi Oma, Kaito Momota”
> 
> Warning: V3 Spoilers. (I’m adding a ‘Spoilers’ tag, so I won’t be doing individual chapter warnings for spoilers from now on), possibly some unreliable narration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Implied Sickness

                Checking the digital display of his bracelet, Kaito tilted his head back, closing his eyes as he took several deep, measured breaths. _One…Two…Three…Okay. This would be fine. Everything would be fine. It was just one night. Just one night._

                “Kaiiiiiitttoooooooo, wanna set fire to this room? I heard cotton bedding is super flammable if it’s dry enough!”

_Oh he was totally screwed._

                “Kokichi…We have to sleep here for a night…Just…Let’s try and get along, okay?”

                “You want to get along with meeee?” Vaulting from his perch on the edge of the bed, Kokichi bounded across the rug toward the taller boy, working up the most innocent, wide-eyed expression he could muster. “I’ve *totally* always wanted to learn more about you Kaito!”

                “Of course you would! After all, I _am_ Kaito Momota, the legendary Luminary of the Stars!” He laughed heartily, clapping Kokichi on the back with enough force that the smaller boy almost toppled forward to the ground.

                _Wow…okay…so sarcasm isn’t a word in his vocabulary apparently._ Turning his head to hide the wide smirk stretching across his face, Kokichi glanced at the blinking display of a small rectangular alarm clock settled upon the bedside table. 8:30 p.m. Pivoting back to face Kaito again, he allowed his features to shift into an interested mask complete with sparkling eyes and a cheery grin. “Hey, Kaito! Did you hear? NASA just found new, irrefutable evidence that the Earth *is* actually flat!”

                Giving himself a little room for error, he estimated smashing Kaito’s happy ‘hero trying to get along with the villain’ act to smithereens wouldn’t take longer than five minutes.

                It took three.

                “For the last time, the Earth is NOT flat!!! Your logic makes no sense! The way the planet interacts with the moon and sun and other heavenly bodies absolutely debunks that theory!”

                “Well, duh, that’s because the moon doesn’t exist. It’s just a projection made by the government to brainwash everyone! What are you, stupid?”

                “Wh-What?! Of course the moon exists! We’ve sent tons of people and rovers to it!”

                “Did we? Did we reeeeeeaaaallly?” Kokichi drew out the word with a playful giggle as he stepped forward, meeting Kaito’s incredulous eyes with his own. “You can’t prove that those pictures from the moon were actually real! Have _you_ ever touched the moon with your own hands? Of course not! What, do you just believe everything the government tells you? Like a blind lamb to the slaughter?”

                “Sometimes you just need to _believe_ , put a little faith in others until you can confirm facts with your own two hands! Just you wait Kokichi, once I make it to space, I’ll prove you wrong once and for all!”

                “…Believe? Believe?!” At those words he dropped his head, and purple bangs flipped over his face, obscuring his eyes in shadow. “Are those the kinds of crappy lies you tell yourself during class trials? No wonder you’re so useless!”

                “Huh?”

                “You never suspect anyone! Last time, the culprit was so obvious, yet you still held up the trial by contradicting Shuichi and getting in his way! When are you going to learn to grow up?! The world isn’t some nice fantasy. Anyone could be a murderer or the mastermind!”

                “Yeah, that’s a possibility, but I still believe in everyone! What if the real mastermind is just some random person? Then I’d be suspecting everyone here for no reason. So until someone proves me wrong, I’ll believe in them! I’ll believe in them all! We’ll all get out. We’ll all get out together! There’s no other way!”

                “…You and Kaede…You both make me sick with your delusional goody-two-shoes ideals. Who do you think you are, super heroes or something? This isn’t a comic book, this is reality! Just believing hard enough isn’t gonna change anything. And she believed…she believed in everyone so much…” He broke off with an uneven chuckle, face contorting into pained grimace. “Look where her ideals got her…”

                “Kokichi…What happened, it wasn’t your fault…”

                “Of course it was…NOT!” At that last word, he flipped his chin back up, mouth splitting into a wide, wide grin as his eyes reflected chaotic mirth. “Ah-hahahahaha! Did you actually fall for my acting, wow! I mean come on, why would I ever feel bad about what happened to her?! A murderer? She lost the game, so she died. End of the story!”

                “What the hell’s wrong with you!?”

                “Oh man, I knew you were an idiot, but are you really stupid enough that you forgot I’m the bad guy?!” Pressing a finger to his lips, Kokichi’s crazed smile twisted upwards at the corners until it seemed to stretch across his entire face. “This is a killing game, remember? I don’t lose games, Kaito. I’ll survive. I’ll get out of here. And I’ll win…Even if it means killing every last one of you.”

                "Hey! If you keep saying messed up crap like that, I'm gonna kick your ass into orbit!"

                “What are you gonna do to stop me? Kill me?!” At that, his expression snapped instantly to a caricature of horrified fear. “W-wait, I take that back! I’m sowwy! I forgot you have a cold blooded, heartless assassin on your team! Pwease don’t kill me Kaito! Whaaaaaa!”

                “W-What? …Maki Roll?” Kaito frowned instantly at the implication. “She would never kill anyone!”

                “What part of ‘Ultimate ASSASIN’ do you not understand?!”

                “Yeah that’s her title, but she’s honestly really chill when you get to know her. Maki Roll said she wanted to escape here with everyone, and I believe her.”

                "Believe? You believe her?! She lived a life of pride, vulgarity, and secrets! Lying would be a piece of cake for her! Do you really think she means what she says? A couple little taunts and she was wrapping her bloodstained hands around my neck. How much do you think it’d take to set off her murder instincts?!"

                “You were being an asshole, Kokichi! But she wasn’t ever going to actually kill you…probably.”

                “Ah-haha…hahahaha…That’s the best defense you can come up with? You don’t sound too sure of yourself, Kaito. Is looking after two sidekicks too much for you to handle? I can solve that problem for ya, k’now? Heeeeyyyy…Kaiiiittooooo…How much do you think it’d take for me to set Shuichi up to look like the mastermind?

                “Wh-what are you even talking about?”

                “Between my lying, lock picking skills, and mental manipulation, it would be so easy to sneak into Shuichi’s room and plant evidence, ‘accidentally’ slip Maki a hint, make her think she came to the conclusion herself, and goad her into murdering him. Just tell me…Just tell me she wouldn’t kill if she thought he was the mastermind.”

                “…”

                “Ah-hahahaahaha! You can’t do it! You can’t even lie, she would totally kill him! Little miss killer girl can’t shake off her bloody roots with a little pep talk from you, y’know? Under that mild skin, what do you think is hiding? She’s a cold blooded murderer who probably gets off on killing people! One little push is all it’ll take for her to snap…You know what? I think I’ll do it! Shuichi’s been getting in my way too much recently, he’s kinda starting to piss me off—“

                “Sh-Shut up!!! Just shut up!” Kaito’s voice was a gruff snarl as he swung a clenched fist toward Kokichi’s face…An attack which the smaller boy neatly side-stepped before springing forward to punch Kaito in the stomach, catching the astronaut off guard.

 _Too predictable_. Grinning, Kokichi skipped back out of reach, preparing himself for another assault. The entire conversation had been way too easy to predict, and Kaito had fallen for every taunt hook, line, and sinker. Incorporating Maki and Shuichi was a nice touch. Maybe next time he could make the idiot snap without bringing them up? It would be a challenge, but that would just make it more gratifying…

                The second attack never came.

                His punch wasn’t strong enough to do much to the taller boy, so why had Kaito stopped? Glancing up caused the wide smile on Kokichi’s face to falter slightly. Frozen in the spot where the leader had punched him, Kaito’s mouth was parted slightly in an uncharacteristically tame expression of shock. A bead of sweat dripped down the astronaut’s clammy skin as he slowly brought a hand up to his mouth. Something wet dribbled through his fingers, and Kaito spun around, striding toward the bathroom before Kokichi could catch a glimpse of what it was.

                Had he actually hurt— _Nope! Kaito was such an idiot he probably just needed to go to the bathroom or something. Geez, how rude, interrupting a heated fight to escape to the john. Can’t he hold it?_

                “Waaaiiit, come back! I wanna play some more! Kaaaiiiittoooo! It was a lie! I like Shuichi way too much to kill him!”

                The restroom door slammed shut leaving Kokichi standing alone in the middle of an empty room.

~.o.~

                Absentmindedly braiding his long purple hair into a mess of spiky, half-plaited strands before undoing them again, he glanced at the alarm clock's digital display.

                10:03 p.m.

 _Uhhhgg…Kaito’s been in there for a while…boring_. Twirling several thin, metal picks between his fingers, Kokichi grinned as he slowly approached the bathroom door. _It would be so embarrassing for Mr. ‘Luminary of the Stars’ if Kokichi burst in on him showering or taking a dump! The shocked expression his normally upbeat face would make…Come to think of it, had he ever seen Kaito’s embarrassed face? Oh man…_ Just the thought of it made him snicker softly to himself as he inched closer. Perhaps a tiny voice of reason chimed in from the back of his head to scold his impulsive behavior, but if one did, he didn’t hear it as he snaked forward, setting a hand on the door knob.

                Pressing an ear to the door as his fingers began to work their magic on the lock, he blinked attentively, listening for clues.

                There was no splash of running water.

                There was no whirring of the overhead ventilation system.

                Only the faint, telltale sounds of retching permeated the bathroom door.

 

                Both Kokichi’s fingers and smile froze.

_One. Two. Three._

                Then he was pulling away, stuffing the lock picks back into his pocket, and lazily lacing his hands behind his head as if nothing had happened.

                _Meh…It would probably be boring anyways. There were so many better things a Supreme Leader could do with his time other than mess with some worthless idiot. Things like…Like…_

                Twirling a lock of hair around his finger, he scanned the room for any signs of writing utensils or paper or notebooks. Nothing.

                The room only seemed to be furnished with the barest of necessities. A simple queen sized bed rested atop a floor rug decorated with geometric circle patterns, a small bedside table hosted a round, curvy lamp along with the alarm clock, and long cloth curtains covered a window on one wall.

                _Curtains…Curtains were good for making capes…Perfect!…_ But how would he unhook the fabric from the rings holding it up? Even if he pushed the bedside table over to the window and stood on it, he’d still be too short…Chewing lightly on his thumb, Kokichi crossed the room to grab a handful of the thick curtain fabric, giving it an experimental tug. Since he didn’t have scissors, maybe his best bet was to rip the entire curtain rod out of the wall? Did he have enough strength to do that? Well he could add his body weight by hanging on the fabric—

                Loud hacking startled him from his thoughts, and despite his best efforts to whistle a cheery tune, the sounds continued to sink their fangs into his ears. He could imagine the noises snaking out from beneath the still-closed bathroom door and slithering across the floorboards to crawl up his neck.

                _Actually…This might be a good time to catch up on sleep. A Supreme Leader has to be well rested to spread chaos after all._

                Quickly, Kokichi bounded across the room, diving beneath the covers and pulling them over his head to encase himself in a cocoon of darkness.

_He couldn’t hear anything._

                “Hack…cough…cough…”

_Nope. Nothing at all._

                “Cough…hh…huhk…”

                Kokichi bit down hard on the pillowcase doing his best to concentrate on the unpleasant texture of dry fabric against his tongue rather than the rattling coughs emanating from the bathroom.

                _Nothing was wrong._

_Nothing was wrong._

_Nothing was wrong._

                They say the hardest person to lie to is yourself…Kokichi knew from experience that it was true. That didn’t stop him from trying.

                Sleep.

_I’m tired._

                Sleep.

_Definitely tired._

_I’m asleep. I’m asleep. I’m asleep._

                He continued to repeat the statement to himself long after the bathroom door eventually opened and Kaito slowly crossed the room to switch off the lights, the bed creaked as the astronaut settled in under the covers, and loud snores filled the small room, replacing stifled coughing from a few moments earlier.

                _I’m asleep._

_I’m asleep._

_I’m asleep_

                He repeated it long into the night, and eventually, at some point in the twilight hours, the statement crossed over into the realm of truth.

~.o.~

                The first time Kokichi was woken up by the rattling sounds of coughing, he managed to pull himself back to sleep.

                And the second time.

                And the third time.

                Each time it took a little longer to sink back into the world of dreams, and eventually, all he could do was stare at the ceiling of the darkened room, halfheartedly examining the shadows of objects in the room stretching up onto the walls.

                _3:00 a.m……_

 _That’s it_. If he couldn’t sleep, neither would Kaito.

                Flicking on the bedside lamp, he took a moment to draft up an acting plan before leaning over and viciously shaking the sleeping boy. “Kaito! Kaito! Wake up!”

                “W-Wha…cough…Kokichi?…What do you want?” He drowsily swatted Kokichi’s hands off his shoulders as he yawned, doing his best to shift away from the light.

                “Kaito! I can’t sleep!”

                “…Kokichi…just close your eyes…”

                “I’m too scared! There’s a ghost hiding under the bed!”

                “G-G-Ghost?! AAAAAAA!!!” Sleepy purple eyes instantly snapped open in horror as the astronaut bolted up in bed, and despite Kokichi’s best efforts to maintain his act, he couldn’t help but collapse into a giggling fit at the terrified expression.

                “Nee heeheehee…Wooow, I can’t believe you actually thought there was a ghost under the bed! Ah-hahahahaha!”

                “Sh-Shut up! Of course g-ghosts aren’t real! I didn’t believe you! Not even for a second!”

                “Heros shouldn’t lie y’know? Haha…hahahahaha…hhhaha…”

                Groaning, Kaito reached over the small boy’s snickering form to flick off the lamp—only for Kokichi to turn it back on.

                Off.

                On.

                Off.

                On.

                “Hey, Kokichi! The thing’s gonna short circuit if you keep doing that!”

                “Then you stop!”

                “No, you!”

                “YOU!”

                Finally, Kaito gave up out of the worry of actually throwing out the fuse, sinking back into the pillows on his side of the bed with a heavy exhale. “It’s fine. Cough. Just leave it on and go to sleep.”

                “Kaito! Kaiiiiitoooo…Don’t ignore meeee…”

                After a couple minutes of trying to overlook Kokichi’s whining and the small hands shaking his shoulders roughly, Kaito finally sighed and opened his eyes again, turning to the other boy who had scooted closer to complain into his ear. “Damn it Kokichi. Okay…so why were you awake?”

                “What?”

                “If a g-ghost didn’t actually wake you up—cough—why are you awake at…3:13 a.m.?”

_Why…?_

                The question caught him by surprise, scattering the neatly organized thoughts upon the blackboard of his mind.

                _Kaito’s loud coughing had woken him up. Duh! Didn’t that idiot realize that his hacking was loud enough to stir the dead? It shouldn’t even be a surprise! The last time Kaito had stumbled out of bed to cough up half a lung hadn’t even been that long ago! Only like…_ Kokichi turned to glance at the clock again and blinked in surprise, letting the thought trail off. _1 hour and 43 minutes ago…_

                _If that wasn’t it…then what? It wasn’t that he wasn’t tired…So why couldn’t he sleep? It wasn’t like he had insomnia or anything…_

                Stifling a yawn, Kokichi quickly gathered enough thoughts and words to plan out a half decent lie. Thinking more would have to wait for later, right now, he had a show to put on.

                “I-I had a-a nightmare.” The expression shift was quick and practiced as he seamlessly schooled his features into an exaggerated picture of scared helplessness. _Constrict pupils by turning to look directly into the lamp light, check. Scrunch up shoulders to appear smaller, check. Curl up knees slightly to imitate fetal position, check. Add a slight lip wobble to hint at vulnerability, wide eyes for extra deer-in-the-headlights effect, and down turned eyebrows to emphasize innocence…check, check, check_.

                All that was left was the tears.

                If there was any part of his routine which needed work, he had to admit it was his fake crying. It just wasn’t always easy mustering enough emotion to trick his body into shedding tears—which was why he was surprised when they came so easily. Just one quick thought to the situation—he wasn’t even sure which detail he’d focused on—and suddenly his vision was blurring over with unshed tears. Training in on the heavy lump in the pit of his stomach which had been growing all night made the sick feeling worse, so he forced himself to think about it more, letting the waterworks flow.

                “Whhhaaaaaaaaaaaa…I-I’m scared Kaito! I-I d-don’t wanna go back to sleep! Whhhhaaaeeaaa…aaaeeeaaaaa…ahhhhhhh”

                Maybe it was because he was exhausted and his eyelids were threatening to close again or maybe it was because he was tired of the shenanigans and just wanted to sleep—whatever the reason, Kaito’s eyes drowsily flickered over Kokichi’s sobbing form one time before he reached forward, firmly pulling the smaller boy into his arms.

                “Kokichi…go to sleep…it’s alright…”

                _This…This wasn’t going according to plan. Why was Kaito hugging him? Kaito hated his guts! He’d been so careful to make sure it was true. So…So what was this?_ He writhed, struggling to wiggle out of the strong grip, but it was no use. Although Kaito was an idiot, he still worked out, and there was no way a body fueled on straight grape soda and chips could compare. “L-let me go! You think you’re going to off a Supreme Leader that easily? I’m not child’s play to kill y’know!”

                “I’m not trying to kill you…cough……We need to work together to get out of here. All of us. Together. So that’s why …cough. No one…No one’s trying to kill you.”

_No one’s trying to kill me? That’s such a lie. Is he really that delusional? What an idiot._

                Kokichi swiped a sleeve across his face to wipe away trails of crocodile tears before sending Kaito a challenging glare—the astronaut avoided his eyes.

                _No way…He knows it’s a lie?_

                Kokichi couldn’t help but blink in surprise.

                _He knows it’s a lie…but he still said it? Why_?

                Not all lies are the same. Perhaps to anyone else, the slight variances in reasoning and justification didn’t matter, but after so long, Kokichi could almost picture the differences. If lies were flowers, a selfish lie would be a black rose embedded with sharp thorns, a deceptive lie would be the alluring aroma of a succulent corpse flower, a broken promise would be the bruised, bleeding petals of crushed white gardenias, and a white lie…a white lie would be a small clover flower, snowy, pale petals touched with the faintest blush of pink. You could pick one up from anywhere, any roadside clover patch which sprawled across the grass, and the tiny flowers didn’t have much monetary value—they were common, small, relatively unremarkable, pale in comparison to vibrant store-bought roses…But despite that, receiving a clover flower…it was a special feeling.

                It felt like a nostalgic warmness was wrapping your whole body in its soft light. It felt like the lazy breezes of late summer were giggling as they danced around a grassy meadow, singing cheerful reassurances in your ear. It felt soft and warm and comfortable. It felt like the sun.

                Clover flowers…They were so fleeting, so mundane…Yet despite that, they created those feelings of safety, of love. No…maybe it wasn’t despite their normality, but because of it. There was no special occasion, no social obligation for giving one. Leaning down casually to pluck one from its bed of verdant green was almost instinctual, nonchalantly tucking it behind the ear of someone you love, even more so.

        _A white lie._

                In his mind space, Kokichi gently rolled the small flower’s thin stem between his fingers.

           _A white lie told for him._

                He couldn’t remember the last time he’d received one.

                Couldn’t remember the last time someone had handed him the small motif of thought.

                One of the flower’s minute, delicate petals fell, fluttering lightly in the air before whirling down to touch the ground with a dancer’s grace. The tip of a snowy pointe shoe tapped down upon the water’s surface sending ripples flowing outwards from that single point of contact.

                Then he was crying in earnest. Hot tears rolling down his cheeks formed thin rivers as they gushed from his eyes, soaking into the galaxy patterned lining of the jacket below him. Hands scrambled for purchase, tightly clutching fistfuls of dress shirt in a futile effort to ground himself. Choking back sobs which struggled to wrestle their way from his trembling mouth, he pressed his face into the side of Kaito’s chest to hide from surprised eyes.

                “…Ko…kichi?”

                “Hhh…hh…Ahhh…”

                “Woah…Dude, it’s okay.”

                Tiredly flicking off the bedside lamp and pulling up the duvet to cover both of them, Kaito settled back into the pillows, holding Kokichi’s small, tense body close in order to offer a little comfort.

                “You’re alright now.”

                Kokichi’s frantic efforts to silence himself only resulted in strangled, hiccupping whimpers which echoed through the darkened room, amplified by wooden floors and black shadows. _Stop it. Stop it right now! If you don’t pull yourself together, you’re going to ruin everything! Damn it…_

                Frowning at the shorter boy’s increasingly panicked breathing, Kaito pressed his palm firmly into Kokichi’s stiff shoulder, not breaking their embrace as he gently massaged at the rigid tension present there. “I’ve got you…It’s okay…You’ll be fine. We’ll all make it out of here alive.”

                Another lie. Another white lie.

                In the mind space a mirror rose from the rippling waters, and Kokichi stepped closer to touch his reflection in the shifting glass. Behind his left ear, glowing from between dark strands of purple hair, rested the second clover flower. A tender breeze seemed to pick up, caressing over his cheek in the ghost of a gentle touch.

_Damage control. Tomorrow I’ll do damage control._

                That was the last coherent thought he managed before the mask crumbled to dust, shattering the cracked remnants of his self control. Strained shoulders dissolved into uncontrollable tremors and clenched teeth gave way to raw wailing as he fell apart into Kaito’s arms.

                When was the last time he’d allowed himself to cry without cutting himself short in order to scramble and make up some kind of act? He couldn’t remember, but it must have been some time ago because the tears came gushing out with renewed vigor, as if some dam had broken in his mind. With his face still buried in Kaito’s side soaking the white dress shirt in tears and mucus, he sobbed and sobbed and sobbed.

                Kaito let out a gentle “oof” of surprise when the smaller boy squeezed his waist, and carefully moved Kokichi’s arms down around the bony structure of his hips instead so they were no longer crushing his organs, but aside from that, the astronaut’s only reaction was to continue rubbing his hand gently over Kokichi’s shoulder in a comforting motion. “It’s okay…cough…I’ve got you…”

                After he’d cried himself empty and the wails had subsided into occasional hiccupping gasps, Kokichi broke the embrace in order to wipe at his nose, and Kaito took the opportunity to peel off his soaked shirts, dropping them lazily to the ground. The astronaut pulled Kokichi back into his arms, tiredly wrapping his oversized jacket around both of them before finally allowing his eyes to flutter shut.

                “H-hey! What…” The protest died on Kokichi’s tongue as deep snoring filled the room, indicating that the taller boy had fallen asleep again. _Seriously…What does he think he is? Invincible? I could whip out a knife and stab him right now! Falling asleep in front of someone he hates? How stupid is he?_

                Despite that, Kaito’s body was warm, radiating heat off of smooth, tan skin, and the fuzzy tendrils of hotness seeped slowly through Kokichi’s clothing and into his body. Lying here with his cheek pressed into Kaito’s bare chest was…really uncomfortable. _Damn it…No it wasn’t. It felt good. Why did it feel so good?_ The big arms around him were heavy and warm as they essentially held him down, preventing him from moving, and so, he gave up on freeing himself, falling limp into the embrace.

                 _His act had been broken so easily by this idiot…_ But for some reason, he didn’t feel angry as his heavy eyelids slowly closed and he slipped into an exhausted slumber. For a brief moment, a tiny thought fluttered through the darkness, ruffling its translucent, gossamer wings as it alighted upon the flower tucked behind his ear.

_If it was Kaito, he wouldn’t mind letting his mask fall off again._

                The thought was fleeting and quickly dismissed, but for a second…for a second he couldn’t deny it was there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--Random Note: Voice typing is honestly kinda a hassle, so I got a wrist brace so I can type again!  
>  -Guess who read a bunch of Hangar fics?! I’m honestly such an idiot since reading angst always makes me wanna write fluff, so that randomly spawned this chapter. But like, I’m not mad bc I’m so weak for this ship.  
>  \--Hey kid, wanna feel despair? Listen to the Vocaloid song [ ‘Ghost Rule’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQrXFbwi-gY) which matches the Hangar scene so well it’s honestly scary. FUCK. Every time I hear it, I just perish.  
>  -Even though they both had their flaws, they defo deserved better. Hopefully I was able to craft a small moment of happiness with this chapter :)
> 
>  _You say you’re nothing but a void._  
>  _That’s okay._  
>  _Because the vast emptiness of space,_  
>  _Is beautiful in its own way._
> 
> _If you’re a ghost and your soul is eroding,_  
>  _I’ll bring you close._  
>  _Because these arms are meant for holding,_  
>  _Hopes and dreams and the things I love._  
>  _And in you, I find all of the above._
> 
> -Kaito writes cheesy poetry completely seriously? Hecc yeah! Happy bday Kichi <3


	17. Nagito + Makoto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Quest: Eat Dinner Together”  
> “Students: Nagito Komaeda, Makoto Naegi”
> 
> !: Post simulation Nagito + Post FF Killing Game Makoto, Some unreliable narration (tagging this, so I won’t be doing individual chapter warnings from now on)  
> Headcanon Warning: They all go on little missions and stuff to help rebuild the world even after Future Foundation mostly dissolved, Nagito’s *not* perfectly fine less than a week after waking up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Delusions, terminal illness symptoms, breathing problems, self-neglect

                Nagito dropped his head breathlessly into the couch cushions as he watched small hands move around the kitchen. The smoke alarm was still beeping from the fire earlier, and usually the loud noise would distract him, but today…today hope was so much louder.

                The bad luck? They’d been locked in some small studio apartment after being ambushed halfway through their mission. The metal bracelets on their wrists contained electrocution capabilities…And apparently they couldn’t be removed without completing the programmed ‘quest.’ The good luck? He was locked in here with Makoto Naegi…And the quest was simple enough. Just ‘ _Eat Dinner Together_ ’…Out of every awful thing it could’ve been.

                 _It almost sounded like a date—No. No it didn’t. Don’t think like that._

                Sinking deeper into the plush softness, he watched Makoto cut up vegetables through half lidded eyes. Of course Nagito had offered to help cook, but after the fourth package of pasta spontaneously combusted setting off both the fire alarm and an asthma attack, Makoto had relegated him to the couch. That was okay though…Because his spot in the living room wasn’t far away at all, and from here he could clearly see the details of Makoto’s face as the younger boy puttered around.

                He looked so focused…so determined. It was beautiful.

                Makoto was always beautiful, always so full of life. Nagito hummed in thought as he took in every detail.

                Hair the color of warm caramel was trimmed short and neat; smooth, tanned skin emanated a healthy glow even under the muted apartment light, and his eyes…oh his eyes…

                Makoto’s eyes were so full of life. So full of _hope_. Nagito shuddered in ecstasy, wrapping his arms tightly around himself at the thought. Today those shining hazel depths had mostly shifted a rich, chocolaty brown. They were more beautiful when they were brown. When they were brown and the furthest removed from Nagito’s own pale green eyes as possible.

                Pale…Weak…Washed out and tired. That was Nagito’s color scheme. Tangled, colorless hair perpetually existed in some wild, untamable mop on the top of his head; sickly white skin thin enough to reveal bluish veins running underneath the surface didn’t help the picture, and to round off everything, heavy shadows permanently underlined his eyes. Eyes which were no match for Makoto’s with their diluted, watery green-grey irises reminiscent of thimbles of chlorinated pool water.

                He was like a dishcloth someone had left out to dry for far too long, the pattern faded and the edges frayed…Put through too many washes, hung out for too many cycles of the sun…Too many cycles of good and bad luck…

                But Makoto…Makoto was different. From his appearance to his smile to his eyes, he radiated warmth…life…wherever he was, whatever he was doing. And this moment was no exception. Even as he worked, he was humming some kind of cheerful tune, the happiness seeping out from his body seemingly lighting up the entire kitchen. Wherever he stepped, sunflowers sprouted from between floor tiles, blossoming in brilliant, golden yellows as they unfurled toward the ceiling.

                Giggling internally, Nagito fiddled with his hair as he watched the younger boy go about cooking as if it was the most normal thing in the world to have flowers suddenly bloom in your kitchen. He couldn’t wait to tell Chiaki about everything when they got back. She was always a good listener…though now that he thought about it…It’s possible she would be a little distracted today since the studio behind her favorite retro game had released a modern remake for the 40th anniversary—

                “Nagito? Dinner’s ready.”

                “Wow…I admit, I’m truly impressed. It looks amazing.”

                “D-Don’t say that with such a serious face! It’s just pasta!” Sputtering, Makoto set two plates on the kitchen table before motioning him over. “Come on, let’s eat!”

                “But I am serious.” Nagito smiled as he pulled up a chair and picked up his fork to stab a few pieces of penne. “It’s amazing because you made it.”

                “Really, I’m not that good at cooking. It just helps to know what to put in a dish. The secret? Memorize a recipe…haha. Next time you make pasta, try omitting the pinecones…I promise, it’ll taste better without them.”

                “Hmm…I could’ve sworn they’re supposed to go in pasta…But since you’re refuting it…You must be right!”

                “I-It’s not because I’m saying it…Pinecones just…aren’t edible…” Swallowing a mouthful of pasta, he grinned lightly. “I’m not anything special, Nagito. I still make mistakes; I’m only human after all…My only strong point is that I'm a little more gung-ho than others."

                “Maybe that’s what separates you from lowly bugs like me! But really…You should have a little more self confidence, because someone like you was born for greatness.”

                “More like born to stress Byakuya out.” Makoto chuckled in some attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction. “We’ve most likely been off the radar for hours now…Monokuma said he’ll return wifi connection when we complete the quest…but until then, we’re on our own.”

                “I never thought I’d be trapped in some apartment building in the remnants of Towa City with you…It almost feels like a dream…”

                “…A dream…?” _Being in a life or death situation…At the mercy of some malicious AI program…A dream?…I…I don’t…_

                At the discomfort in his companion’s voice, Nagito’s eyes flickered upwards before mentally freezing _. Something about the conversation had apparently made Makoto uncomfortable…Change of topic? Yeah…_ “So how’s the rebuilding of Towa City going? I’m afraid none of us really have the chance to visit the mainland that often with recently happening everything—Ah…I mean with everything happening recently.”

                “Setting up the base of operations on Jabberwock right? Is that going well? I’m sorry I haven’t had a chance to visit for a while.”

                “There’s no need to worry! My beloved embodiments of hope have all been working really hard…We’re almost done installing everything. I believe we’re even a couple weeks ahead of schedule!”

                “That’s good. I don’t really come into Towa City that much, but Komaru tells me things are going well with the reconstruction plan. And from what I can tell, it’s a lot better than when I was here last time…If that’s any indication.”

                “Ah, I’m so glad!…” The words full of sincerity were the slightest bit distracted as Nagito watched a small white cabbage butterfly flutter through the air in a few concentric circles before alighting upon Makoto’s head.

                “Anyway, I’ve got to say this is a little strange…I could’ve sworn we tracked down every last trace of the Monokuma AI…Why it’s shown up all of a sudden in the building we were supposed to reconnaissance today…I have no idea.”

                Nodding in agreement, Nagito brought his fork up to his mouth only to pause for a few seconds and set it back down again. “It’s possible she set up additional units of the program in other parts of the country…I know Izuru met two slight variations in Towa City…” Feather soft wings of an amber monarch butterfly caressed his cheek as it fluttered past to join the first on Makoto’s head.

                “He did tell me that…However…That was before the simulation and rebuilding…To think any rouge AI cells haven’t emerged or attempted to do anything since then…” As Makoto continued to speak, several more butterflies emerged from the woodworks, seeming to flit in and out of thin air as they danced around the table. Pale yellows and sky blues and inky blacks and vivid reds mixed into a vibrant cloud of dancing wings and graceful limbs, filling the entire apartment with spritely giggling. Not interrupting their ethereal waltz for a moment, never falling out of sync, single members of the swarm peeled themselves away at rhythmic intervals to spiral down toward Makoto’s hair. Before long, the elegant, aerial dance was reduced to a solo number, and shortly after that, the remaining butterfly twirled in the air one last time before neatly landing among the others perched upon strands of caramel floss.

                Makoto’s mouth was still moving in some explanation of the Future Foundation’s past work on technology breaches in the area, but Nagito didn’t hear a single spoken word. Pale lips parted slightly in pure awe.

                The ring of softly shifting butterflies formed a near perfect circle of color atop Makoto’s head. Delicate gossamer wings refracted shards of rainbow light as the overhead lamp beamed down upon silken color. The diaphanous circlet easily resembled the crown of some elven king…With glowing light illuminating the soft curves of his face and sending shoals of sparkles dancing across his eyes, Makoto almost looked like a creature of the sun itself. Celestial. Angelic……Warm.

                “It’s like a halo…” Breath caught in throat as he tried to speak, and when the words finally slipped out it was in the form of a croaky wheeze.

                “…Nagito?”

                He couldn’t breathe.

_Oh._

_That was bad right?_

                Chest tight with instinctive panic he wrapped his arms around himself, clutching his shoulders with enough pressure that nails dug into his skin even through the fabric barrier of his jacket.

                It wasn’t working.

                A droplet of sweat rolled down his cheek as he gasped with effort, fighting at the unexplainable crushing weight in his chest. Constricted pupils darted desperately around their sockets without seeing anything but amorphous blurs.

_Was it time?_

_Was it finally time?_

                It was a shame he wouldn’t be able to see the city after the rebuilding was complete…And Chiaki would be really disappointed…He promised that he would play the new game with her.

_I’m sorry Chiaki…I’m tired…So tired…_

_But it’s not that bad…I had the chance to see a beautiful creature today—_

                The thought sharply snapped off as freezing ice pressed over his skull, piercing those floating sentences with stiletto daggers of gelid chill.

_Cold._

_Focus._

_It’s cold._

                He sucked in a rattling breath. Then another. And another.

                Time which seemed to have frozen a few minutes ago suddenly snapped back to normal as a single word managed to squeeze itself past the pounding roar of heartbeats in his head. It was only a single word. But the voice was _his_.

                “Nagito?” Makoto’s brows furrowed as he brushed hair off Nagito’s clammy forehead and readjusted the icepack.

                His face was so close that Nagito could pick out individual lines in those warm hazel irises. Nearly choking on another inhale, the older boy quickly scooted back before lifting the cold pack off his head and sandwiching it between his palms. _The cold…it was grounding._

                Pewter eyes met copper ones before quickly breaking contact and dropping to stare at the ground. When he finally glanced up again Makoto was still looking at him with a strange expression on his face. _What was that expression?_

                Stiff shoulders…Slanted eyebrows…Twitching fingers…A slight frown…

_Oh. Worried. He was worried._

                Blinking in surprise, Nagito quickly schooled his features into a picture perfect image of casual cheer. _Don’t take too deep of breaths…Act normal…_ Mouth splitting into a wide grin, he threw his luck a silent plea to keep his voice steady and pieced together a suitable sentence. “I’m fine! It’s just something that happens occasionally. Thanks for grabbing the ice, it helps.”

                “Listen, if you aren’t—”

                “About the AI problem in the city, I’ll be sure to ask Izuru what he thinks.”

                “Nagito…What just happened? I don’t think—”

                “The island is sure to be getting boring to him anyway, so I’m sure he wouldn’t mind a little mental challenge. The Ultimate Despair must not have been very confident in her plan to have installed so many backups…But in a way, that’s understandable. Courage, even in the hands of those in power, can be classified as reckless-ss…Ahem, recklessness…”

                Lips twitching into a concerned grimace, Makoto sat back down and set his elbows on the table. Folding his hands together before resting his chin against the backs of his knuckles in the universal ‘I’m waiting’ gesture, he stared across the table at eyes which looked everywhere except forward.

                Nagito kept talking, skipping from topic to topic without ever landing on the important one.

                When Makoto finally humored him, dropping his frown in favor of taking another bite of pasta, Nagito’s shoulders twitched with relief, stiff fingers releasing the icepack which tumbled into his lap without a sound.

                “Have you ever played Galaga?”

                “I know I’ve heard of it before…Hmmm…”

                “It’s the 40th anniversary of the original game’s release today.”

                “So it’s an older game?” _I didn’t know you were into video games._ Makoto barely caught that last thought before it slipped out of his mouth. _Of course…_

                “Yeah…They created a revamped version with new levels and updated graphics for the anniversary event.”

                “That sounds amazing! Hey Nagito…Do you think you could teach me how to play it some time?”

                Startled eyes widened as they flicked up from the table—a mistake. Looking up was definitely a mistake because now he was staring into blistering sincerity. Butterfly wings tinkled like chimes of stained glass as Makoto pressed his hand over his heart without breaking eye contact. _I mean it._

                “S-Sure…” Nagito’s response was uncharacteristically mumbled, but it was the best he could manage as he essentially melted into the ground under that stare. A rush of heat flooded his face as he scrambled to think of a new topic, nearly knocking the breath from his lungs again.

                “I’ll look forward to it.” Makoto’s face split into a radiant smile, and suddenly Nagito was very glad there was an icepack in his lap.

 

                The conversation meandered casually from topic to topic for a long time after that. Eventually, however, Makoto set down his fork and exhaled softly. It hadn’t taken long to realize that Nagito wasn’t eating…In fact, as time went on, the older boy was starting to look more and more pale. Something about the way his lips pressed together whenever he looked down at the food on the table before quickly averting his eyes to focus on something else didn’t seem quite right… “Nagito…”

                White hair shifted at the sound of his voice, and Nagito looked up, finally resigning on half-heartedly shifting pasta to one side of his plate to make the portion look partially eaten.

                “…?”

                “You…aren’t eating…”

                “I’m terribly sorry…I’m just not very hungry…” He quickly waved his hands in front of his body, attempting to clarify how those words must have sounded. “No, the food looks great! It’s just…I have this brain thing which makes it hard to eat sometimes.”

                “…Brain ‘thing?’”

                “There’s nothing to worry about! It’s not a big deal. Really.” In a split second his tone shifted from serious to energetic and carefree once more. “What ingredients did you use? I’d love to try and make it myself some time—”

                “…Not a big deal?” Brown eyes twitched slightly as they turned to him with disbelief. “Nagito…I-I’ve read your medical files. What part about that is ‘not a big deal’…?”

                _Of course. Of course he had. Ah…He even had time to remember information on someone so unimportant and worthless…Ultimate Hope…The title fit him well…_

                “Well then you know there’s no point in worrying about someone like me!” Giggling softly, he wrapped thin arms around himself, “After all…I already have one foot in the grave. I’ll be out of your skin before too long.”

                Makoto frowned instantly. _Why do you sound like you’ve given up?_ “It’s treatable. It’s still treatable even now. I thought you were prescribed medications?”

                Nagito’s lips twisted into the ghost of a sheepish smile as he dug a small pill bottle out of his jacket pocket and placed it on the dinner table. Through the orange-tinted plastic, it was easy to see the assortment of colorful capsules and tablets completely filled the container.

                The bottle would be less full if Nagito hadn’t dumped all of his prescriptions into it, forming some sort of monstrous pill medley. Doing so was probably dangerous, but he figured with his luck he’d be fine, and keeping so many different prescription containers was honestly too much of a hassle…Or it would’ve been if he actually took any of them.

 _What was this? The fourth bottle? Fifth?_ He’d lost track a while ago. At the end of each month, he’d dispose of the entire stock of pills, and take all the containers back to the pharmacy to get them refilled.

                Izuru had caught on after the first rotation—or maybe even before that, Nagito couldn’t tell—but so far, Hajime was oblivious…He was mildly relieved Izuru hadn’t shared the thought with his mental counterpart, but it was getting harder and harder to brush off his symptoms…he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep up the act. _Oh…Hajime would be sooo angry when he found out…_

                Toting the pills everywhere…it was stupid, but he couldn’t bring himself to just burn them at the beginning of the month no matter how much he wanted to. Izuru and Hajime spent so much time adjusting the dosages each cycle to make sure they were correct…So every day he forced himself to stare through the orange-tinted plastic, trying to muster up some kind of resolve. _Maybe at lunch…Maybe at dinner…Maybe at night…Maybe before bed….Maybe tomorrow morning…Maybe later today…Maybe later this week…_

                He’d realized the problem a long time ago. It didn’t even take Izuru’s pointed, slightly annoyed stare to bring the explanation to his attention. But…to be honest…understanding didn’t really make it any easier.

                “…Why aren’t you taking them?”

 _Lie_. Every cell in his body urged it.

                But he couldn’t.

                Not with those golden brown irises staring into his soul. Evaporating his thoughts like a puddle in the blazing shine of the sun at high noon.

                “Hallucinations. They’re a symptom of late stage dementia.”

                “The medication can help with that. That’s what it’s designed to do, help with the symptoms—”

                “I know.”

                “You…know?”

                “The hallucinations are bad…but my luck has saved me from getting killed by them so far.”

                “Nagito…”

                “Yeah…They’re bad…But…There’s something way worse……” His soft voice trailed off into nothingness as he stared down at the tablecloth, almost unwilling to even think of the numbing possibility.

 _Something worse? Than seeing things that don’t exist?_ Makoto frowned as he bit his lip in thought. Nothing. He couldn’t think of anything that was remotely worse. “I…don’t understand. What’s worse, Nagito?”

                “That I see nothing.” The words were a ghost of a whisper, and the younger boy had to strain forward to catch them at all. “That this…that everything…that everyone was fake all along. Just a mesh of hallucinations…all in my head…That after they’re removed, there’s nothing left…”

                “…You don’t have to worry. Hajime and all your classmates are real. The work we’ve been doing to rebuild the world, it’s all real. I promise.” He set his hand gently on top of the taller boy’s remaining biological one to provide a little reassurance—only for Nagito to instantly snatch back his fingers as if he’d been burned. “N-Nagito? I-I’m sorry! Did I hurt—”

                “They…the hallucinations…they affect all five senses. I-I can hear them…smell them…touch them. Just like I can touch you…just like I can feel your warmth. Proving you’re real…it’s impossible, Makoto. ……I’m sorry…”

                …

                …

                “…Is that what you’ve been doing all day? Interacting with them?”

_All day…_

                “…The butterflies aren’t real are they?”

                “Butterflies? We’re in a closed apartment, Nagito…”

                “The flowers…?”

                A silent head shake.

                “I see…”

_How could he forget? She was dead…Long dead…_

_It was really getting bad wasn’t it?_

_Out of all the things to forget……_

                A smothering hush filled the room, crawling between the table legs and slithering along kitchen tiles before rising upwards to engulf the air in its noiseless roar.

                “Nagito…this is serious…”

                “I know…”

                “You’ll actually die if you—”

                “I’d rather die, Makoto. …I’d rather die than lose them…lose everyone…” The words faded into the barest hint of a whisper, bearing not even a faint touch of exaggeration. “…such despair…”

                “……Nagito…You were already taking them—the antipsychotics—while you were in the simulation. Intravenously among other medications. We’re sorry…it was necessary to keep your physical body stable.” Makoto exhaled deeply, pressing a hand to his mouth in thought. “We were under the impression that you were still taking them…Knowing you aren’t…It explains the regressions…”

                “You’ve been reviewing my medical reports?”

                “…Yes…I’m sorry for not telling you earlier…Checking up on you guys was one of Munakata’s conditions—”

                “You’re so kind…Haha…hh…hhha…Haaaha—”

                “Nagito. Please let me finish. …Please.”

                Instantly complying, Nagito pressed his lips together in a thin line, stifling the beginning of a laughing fit and blinking attentively in signal for Makoto to continue speaking.

                “You were already taking them, so that means nothing you saw when you first woke up was a hallucination. You interacted with them when you woke up right? Everyone’s real.”

                “…”

                  _See…That line of logic only works if you’re real as well, Makoto…_

                “It’s okay…Just something to think about.” Smiling lightly, he turned to Nagito with the slightest incline of his head. “For now, let’s complete this quest! Is there anything you think you can eat right now?”

                White eyelashes fluttered softly as Nagito gave the plate before him one last look before finally giving up on his attempts to goad his mind into accepting the food. _It was so disappointing…After Makoto went through all that trouble to cook…He couldn’t even manage a single bite…_ “Toast is usually okay.”

                “Toast? Okay, wait right here, I’ll be back!” Whisking the plates off the table and setting them on the kitchen counter, Makoto busied himself cutting slices of bread. Somehow, the first few pieces burned to a crisp from some random power surge, but eventually, he returned to the table, setting down a plate of golden brown toast along with two glasses of water (which he figured would be a safe drink choice).

                The toast was warm as Nagito picked it up and crunchy as he took a small bite. That was good. If he could focus on the texture against his tongue, he didn’t need to think too much about the taste.

                “Is it okay?”

                “Yeah.” He swallowed thickly, feeling the dry lump slide down his throat, before taking a sip of water.

                “I’m glad.” Makoto’s relieved smile softly radiated across the table as he picked up a piece of toast off the plate as well, bringing it to his mouth with a satisfied hum.

                Nagito blinked, quietly nibbling on his slice as he watched the younger student absentmindedly fidget with his phone. _Probably checking the connection again. Still no service, as expected. All electronics would probably be useless until they quest the completed—no—completed the quest._

                Wrinkling his brow slightly at the lack of any wifi networks appearing in range, Makoto shoved the remnants of his toast in his mouth before reaching for a glass. The sudden motion sent the ring of butterflies in his hair fluttering into the air, rising toward the ceiling as the insects floated on some invisible current. A single buttercup swallowtail brushed against Nagito’s cheek as it flew past and joined the others. The touch was brief, minute, fleeting…but he could feel it…he could feel it. Ah….

_The butterflies aren’t real._

                Even as he watched the swarm pirouette through the air before flickering through the walls, disappearing into oblivion with nothing but the faint echoing of spritely laughter…it felt real.

_They aren’t real._

                Giggles rang in his ears, undulating in volume in some morphed playback of a few moments earlier.

                They felt real.

                They felt _so_ real.

                Glancing back at Makoto, his breath hitched in his throat as a warm gaze snagged upon his own. “Nagito…?”

                “…Do…Do you hear that?”

                “No…?” That first negation was slightly surprised and unsure, but after standing up and making a small walk around the entire apartment while attentively listening for any bizarre sounds, Makoto sat back down at the table sounding a lot more certain. “No. I don’t hear anything.”

                “I see…”

                Makoto’s mouth opened and closed a few times as he debated what to say before finally concluding that he didn’t need to say anything for his question to materialize over the table. Taking a deep breath, he picked up his glass again, not breaking eye contact as he swallowed another mouthful of water.

                Nagito closed his eyes without acknowledging the silent inquiry. He could envision Makoto’s face perfectly well through shut eyelids. Those slightly furrowed brows, the golden flakes of hope shining in warm hazel eyes, strands of hair the color of honeyed chocolate shuffling slightly as the younger boy tilted his head out of curiosity…The image was so clear…

                Out of the two possibilities…It was much, much more likely that this was all false, that Makoto didn’t exist at all. In fact, the chances that this was real…slim to nothing. Yet…Yet...Nagito couldn’t help but allow himself to cling to that chance, that hope. Despite everything…He wanted to believe. Casting lots on something so foolish…It wasn’t the first time he’d done it…His luck was notorious for near impossible odds after all, but if there was one time he wished it would come through…it was right now…

                It was on this gamble.

                White eyelashes fluttered open as he finally allowed himself to look at Makoto again. Without the halo of colorful butterflies decorating his head like a faerie crown, he looked a lot less celestial and saintly. But that was okay. Because…Because he looked so much more human…so much more real.

                Bringing the toast back up to his mouth, Nagito took another small bite. He still had no appetite—but that wasn’t anything new, so he continued to work away at the food between sips of water until the entire slice was gone.

                *Click*

                As soon as the bracelets unlocked, Makoto’s shoulders dropped, face cracking with relief. Gingerly picking up the two metal bands, he dropped them into a ziploc bag before slipping the evidence into his satchel. Though he wanted to instinctively throw it as far away as possible, Byakuya would kill him for not bringing back the deactivated technology for research purposes. “The network connection is back! I’ll update everyone on our situation right now!”

                Observing Makoto’s newly relaxed posture as fingers flew across the digital screen of a smartphone, Nagito allowed a small smirk of amusement to tug at the corner of his mouth. _Had Makoto been stressed out this entire time?_

                It seems he wasn’t the only one good at pretending.

                Bringing the half empty glass of water to his lips again, Nagito’s eyes wandered aimlessly around the room.

                Four walls painted light beige, three light bulbs glowing in the overhead lamp, two white china plates sitting on the kitchen counter a few feet away, one orange plastic pill bottle which he’d forgotten to put back in his pocket.

                Instinctively his hand twitched to shove the container out of sight again before pale eyes snagged on three words of black print.

                ‘Take with food’ The small label read.

                _…_

_Well now he really didn’t have an excuse…_

                Wrapping one arm around himself, he picked up the bottle with stiff fingers.

                “It’s okay…really…You don’t have to do it right now…” Makoto’s eyes flicked up from his phone screen in time to catch the hesitant action.

                “…I want to.” Despite those words, his hands were shaking, and it took a bit of fumbling before he was able to open the prescription bottle and pick out a day’s worth of pills.

                “That’s a lot.”

                “Only six…” Nagito shrugged as he absentmindedly nudged the assorted capsules and tablets into a line on the table. _There used to be more…Izuru was amazing like that…he always was…_

                He must have been staring at the tablecloth and spacing out for a long time because Makoto’s voice was soft with concern when he finally spoke.

                “Nagito? Are you okay? If something’s wrong you can tell me.”

                “I-I…I…”

                "I…I believe in you. Isn't it obvious? People believe in their friends, right? That's why I want you to tell me! And I want you…to believe in me, too.” Makoto reached out to give Nagito’s hand a gentle reassuring squeeze, and this time, the taller boy didn’t flinch away. “Because we're friends."

_I’m scared._

                “…I’m fine.” Taking his hand back, he scooped up the line of pills on the table and dumped them all into his mouth in one smooth motion. Ignoring the rising panic in his gut, he jabbed two slender fingers between his lips, shoving the mess of capsules to the back of his throat before swallowing it dry. A couple gulps of water later and the lump in his esophagus had disappeared completely—the medicine was in his system just like that.

_Just like that…_

_Ah…_

_Just like that._

                “Good job, Nagito.”

                The weak, wobbly smile he’d been struggling to maintain quickly relaxed into a genuine one at those words, and a rigid tension he didn’t know he’d been holding in his shoulders instantly snapped leaving him happy and a little drained. Settling his head in his arms, he rested tiredly upon the kitchen table, watching with mild amusement as Makoto busied himself washing the dishes. _This wasn’t even his apartment and he was cleaning up the kitchen…It was a very ‘Makoto’ thing to do._

_…This meant he wouldn’t have to lie to Hajime any more…That was good. Lying to Hajime always made his stomach churn unexplainably..._

_A schedule…Morning…Morning would be a good time. Then he wouldn’t have to think about it for the rest of the day. Ah…but then that meant he would have to eat every morning…_ Thinking on it, he supposed it would be okay. Ibuki always complained that he was too bony whenever she hugged him anyways. _Maybe if he put on a little weight she would be happier…That is…If she still existed afterwards…_

                “Nagito?” Makoto’s voice shook him from his meandering train of thought, and he sat up, rubbing blearily at his eyes.

                “Is it time to leave?”

                “Well…I was actually planning to stay here for a little bit. I have a bunch of reports I need to get done before we go back, and I haven’t had the chance to complete them yet.” Smiling sheepishly, the younger boy held up the strap of his laptop case, tilting his head toward the couch of the small apartment. “Would you mind if we stayed a few more hours?”

                “I don’t think that’s a good idea…Isn’t this apartment controlled by a form of the Monokuma AI?” Nagito frowned as endless possibilities of things going wrong flashed through his head.

                “As soon as our bracelets fell off, connection to the outside world returned, and I had Alter Ego take control of the system.” Makoto held up his smart phone in emphasis, and sure enough, the pixelated face of a young boy grinned out from the digital screen.

                “Eheh…Hello, nice to meet you. There’s no need to worry, I’m in full control of the network on this entire block right now! You’re safe as long as I’m here!” The voice was slightly monotone and unnatural, but still realistic enough that Nagito could tell the voice bank was created by an actual person. It sounded oddly familiar, and somehow, he knew he’d heard that voice before…Where exactly, he couldn’t remember.

                “Are you certain…?”

                “Yep! Leave everything to me!”

                “I…suppose staying a little longer is alright…”

                “Awesome. Thanks Alter Ego!” Plugging in his laptop before opening the lid and settling into the couch to begin working on the stack of files he owed Byakuya, Makoto grinned, patting the spot beside him in a silent invitation.

                Nagito plopped down next to him, watching him work on boring report after report with avid attention as if he was doing something super interesting rather than typing row after row of the same standard protocol. That energy didn’t last too long, however, because after the fourth mission summary, Makoto felt a heavy weight against his side. Twisting his head slightly, a relieved smile spread across his face at the sight of Nagito slumped into his shoulder, eyes closed, fast asleep.

                He looked so peaceful when he was sleeping…Soft strands of white hair fluttered lightly with each exhale, relaxed shoulders smoothed the tight skin around his collarbones making them appear less sharp, and pale lips parted, letting out light snores.

                Makoto didn’t even mind that Nagito was drooling into the fabric of his blazer. It wasn’t anything new to him anyways as Hina fell asleep on him just like this almost every time they had to pull an all-nighter to finish reports.

 

                By the time Nagito snapped awake and bolted upright a few hours later, Makoto was so engrossed in his work he’d almost forgotten the other boy was there, prompting a small shriek of surprise at the sudden movement. Wild grey-green eyes darted frantically around the room before landing on Makoto’s face which was a few inches from his own. Honey brown irises studied the other boy’s stiff posture and panicked breathing with worry, gently reaching forward to set a hand over Nagito’s white knuckles.

                “Are you alright?”

                “Y-You’re still here…” Thin shoulders slumped back down into a relaxed position as his raspy voice cracked with relief.

                “Antipsychotics usually don’t start working until you’ve been taking them for six weeks…but yeah. I’m still here. And I’ll still be here six weeks from now, Nagito. I promise.”

                Nagito’s slender fingers clamped onto the younger boy’s wrist in a vice grip the instant Makoto made a motion to remove his hand. “Makoto. Do you love me?”

                “Wh-W-W-What?!”

                “Are. You. In. Love. With. Me?” Stormy eyes had hardened into jagged shards of glass as they stared into him, all traces of drowsiness gone, and it took every ounce of self control Makoto had to not instinctively flinch away.

                “No! This is only like the fourth time we’ve met!” The fingers around his wrist relaxed the slightest bit.

                “Then why? Why are you doing this?”

                “H-helping you?”

                “Yes.”

                “I-I don’t know…I guess I never really thought about it. I…I guess it’s like an instinct, you know? Because you’re my friend.”

                “Instinct…If anyone else was in trouble, would you help them out of instinct as well?”

                “Y-Yeah, I think so.” _Again. Something he’d never really thought about before._

                "Hhha…hhh…haha…haaaaahahahahahahahahahaha!” Nagito’s hand quickly released Makoto’s as the taller boy slowly sank back into the couch cushions with an uneven laugh, shoulders shaking erratically.  “Not De Clerambault's syndrome…not De Clerambault's syndrome…”

                “H-Hey, Nagito…Are you okay?”

                Tears leaked from the corners of his eyes as Nagito did his best to stop chuckling, a futile attempt which merely exacerbated the situation as he dissolved into hysterical giggling—Giggling which quickly morphed into a coughing fit, sending him doubling over and nearly collapsing off the couch.

                “Nagito!” Makoto set his laptop down upon the coffee table in front of him before lunging forward to catch Nagito’s body against his own. It was a little awkward holding him due to their height difference, but Makoto did so anyways, preventing the taller boy from toppling forward. Thin shoulders rattled uncontrollably as coughing wracked his body, but eventually the fit passed, leaving Nagito weakly gasping for air. “Be calm, okay? Just be calm…”

                “I’m…huff…glad…” The words squeezed out between wheezes were clipped short and breathless, but Makoto could hear them clearly as he quietly patted Nagito’s back in some, mostly useless, gesture of concern. “But…hhhe…you don’t have to keep doing that…huff…”

                “Doing…what?”

                “Calling me your friend…treating me the same as everyone else…”

                “Wha— But you are—” His protest was cut short by a cold metal finger pressing against his lips in a shushing motion.

                “Empty platitudes don’t suit someone who shines as brightly as you.”

                “…Platitudes? Hehe…You remind me of someone else I know… ” Makoto laughed gently as he pulled away, moving to perch himself on the edge of the coffee table across from the couch so he could look Nagito in the eyes. “Those words weren’t empty. I was serious. …But you know…Words have this really cool property: They change. So…If they're hollow to you at the start, you can fill them in later!"

                Golden brown eyes met watery green ones, and Nagito couldn’t avert his gaze no matter how much he wanted to. _But that was okay because maybe…Maybe he didn’t really want to look away._

                “If you want…We can fill them in together.” The honey gold flecks in Makoto’s eyes sparkled with absolute sincerity until his irises seemed to shift like pools of liquid stardust, filling up the vast emptiness of space in a rush of glowing particles. Looking into those eyes left no room for falsehoods, no room for doubt.

                “I…I’d enjoy that.”

                Makoto’s warm smile spread upwards, crinkling the corners of his eyes as he slowly extended his palm toward Nagito who closed the space between their hands after a brief moment of hesitation.

                The contact wasn’t anything special per say—just your average handshake…But this time it was Makoto who offered his hand. This time, instead of the adoring clasp of a fan, Nagito met that hand with only a single one of his own in the expression of an equal. This time no one interrupted them. Slowly, comfortably, they pulled away simultaneously, eyes meeting in quiet understanding.

                They were just little details.

                But they made all the difference.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> \--This Ch was inspired by [‘Dreaming Paper Stars’ by terryh_nyan](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4578840) which fucked me up real hard. It’s super well written tho, would recommend!~  
> -My HC for Nagito is that eventually Izuru figures out some way to save him (Like brain surgery + 3D organ printing or some shit) bc the poor boy has suffered enough  
> -Originally the quest was ‘share the bed’ but then I realized…yeah…there’s no way Nagito would be able to hold himself together if that happened. Ahaha…  
> -A lotta people write this relationship as unhealthy, but I think it could defo work out with enough time! The song I feel fits this ship SUPER well is [ ‘Breath of Life’](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOm2fLucQ9g) by Florence and the Machine. And It would also be an awesome fight song for them to listen to as they work together to beat down despair <3  
> \--I’m stuck @ different points on three of the request chapters I’m working on rn. So, I’m just going to work on some random chapters until I can sort them out, hope that’s okay!
> 
> \---I know it’s not self care month, but fuck it. Every day is a good day for that! Remember to take your meds, stay hydrated, and look out for yourself. Whatever challenges you’re facing right now, you can overcome them! I believe in you. And you should defo believe in yourself. Bc guess what? At the end of the day, you’re the strongest cheerleader you can have. So hey… Even if things look bad sometimes, don’t ever give up on yourself.  
> This world we live in can be cruel at times, but it’ll never be hopeless as long as your eyes continue to alight upon the horizon of tomorrow.


	18. (Bonus) Izuru + Hajime

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonus Chapter: No Quest in this chapter, a small bonus of an event during the last chapter. You might have to read Ch17 for this to make sense!
> 
> Headcanon Warning: (Post Anime Hajime= One body, two different people. Typically they coexist, but it’s possible for one to have full control at times (meaning the other doesn’t have any memories of that span of time)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Physical fighting, Implied Dark Themes
> 
> -Manger hitch: a quick release knot typically used for tying up livestock  
> -Laplace’s demon: A thought experiment which theorizes if someone knows the position of every atom in the universe, they can essentially predict all future movements (this is super fucking cool, highly recommend looking into it if you’ve never heard of it)

                Izuru cracked open a single eye, watching Hajime pace up and down in their shared mind space for what seemed like an eternity before finally humoring his mental counterpart enough to address his stressed actions. “There is no reason to act this way. Calm down Hajime.”

                “Calm down?! Don’t even act like you didn’t just hear that call from Byakuya! They’re missing in Towa City. MISSING. Their last communication was hours ago! How are you not worried?”

                “Hajime. Is this mental stress of yours going to change anything? Will it help the situation in any way whatsoever?

                “Yeah sure, it’s not logical, but I can’t help it okay? How can you just sit around and act like everything’s fine?”

                “Oh? Are you implying that I should seize control and act in some way to remedy the situation? Perhaps hijack a helicopter and fly us to the mainland?”

                “N-No…You know we don’t have clearance to leave the island right now…Uhhggg. Can’t we do anything from here?”

                “It’s possible.” Izuru conceded, nodding slightly as he brushed dark strands of hair from his eyes. While Hajime had given the body they shared a haircut as soon as he woke up, in the mind space, they both looked as they had before the merging. Silken black tresses cascaded down his back, sprawling across the floor as he leaned casually against a wall staring at Hajime through scarlet eyes.

                “Then…You’ll do it?”

                “No. Disarming the Monokuma AI cell would entirely negate the purpose of their current situation.”

                _AI._

_Purpose._

_Situation._

                The blood in Hajime’s veins froze in cold realization as the gravity of those words sunk in. “Byakuya never mentioned a rogue Monokuma AI cell…Izuru…IZURU WHAT DID YOU DO?!” His hand snapped forward to grab the dark haired boy by the tie—only for Izuru to neatly sidestep the advance and flick his leg out just enough to send Hajime toppling to the ground.

                “You would think an organization so important would have better cyber security…Writing both the mission details and location into the system only took a few lines of carefully placed coding.”

                “Izuru! What the actual h—” The remainder of those words were cut off as a firm hand clamped over his mouth and dark hair spilled across his vision.

                “It was simple enough to rip AI coding off of the virtual reality program and package it into a portable installation device. Shipping it to a specific apartment complex in Towa City even more so. Are you truly stupid enough to believe Junko has no more supporters there?” Bending over Hajime’s body, Izuru dipped his head closer until their eyes locked together. “You are attempting to ask me ‘why’ correct? Two unique individuals who posses different types of luck…Did you know that luck is largely illogical? Compared to our more stable version of luck, both Makoto and Nagito benefit from rather chaotic windfalls of grace.”

                Hajime’s visage twisted into a soundless snarl as he swung a clenched fist at Izuru’s face.

                Promptly catching the attack without a blink of surprise, pale fingers efficiently trailed upwards, pinning both Hajime’s hands above his head without relinquishing the hold over his mouth. “You’ll have to be less predictable to land a blow on me. All your thoughts are written across your face. You’re like an open book.”

                “Mmmphf…You…fu—”

                “I haven’t answered your question yet have I? ‘Why?’ Though I suspect I don’t need to, I’ll say it aloud regardless. When two unique individuals such as those two are placed in a life or death situation, it is possible for new events to emerge—anomalies if you will. Unfortunately, for the embodiment of talent itself—”

                Without a warning, Hajime jerked upwards suddenly, smashing his forehead into Izuru’s with enough splintering force that both boys reeled back from waves of piercing, white-hot pain.

                Recovering first and rising to his feet, Izuru pressed cold fingertips to tender skin, essentially stopping any swelling before it began. Despite himself, he blinked in surprise at the turn of events. When was the last time anyone had come anywhere close to scratching him? It had been years ago at _that person’s_ demonstration of despair.

                It wasn’t that he hadn’t predicted Hajime would try something so counterproductive; it was just that he hadn’t expected the brunette would have enough strength to rip himself out of Izuru’s grip in order to actually make contact. Normally their strength was on completely different levels, but in that moment, Hajime was stronger. A lot stronger. Glancing toward the source of shooting pain, Izuru effectively popped his dislocated right wrist back into its socket with an inaudible hiss.

                Source of sudden increased physical power? The Ultimate Psychologist in him proposed an interesting theory centering on reports of super human strength stemming from surges of strong emotion. Normally he would dismiss it as unlikely; however, in the mindscape, mental strength was just as deadly of a tool. The explanation was theoretical, but he wasn’t bothered in the slightest. After all, wasn’t their whole coexistence considered theoretical (or borderline pseudoscience) by many?

                As he watched Hajime stumble to his feet, Izuru’s lips twitched into the faintest ghost of a smile. Living with Hajime…He was always stumbling upon these small unexpected happenstances. Next time, he wouldn’t be taken by surprise by the same trick, but that was okay. Because his counterpart was sure to somehow defy logic and prediction once again in some small way.

                “Izuru.” In contrast to its usual casual tone, Hajime’s voice was hard and rough, edged with stress and anger as it hissed out from between clenched teeth. “Where. Are. They?”

                “3407 Acortizol Drive, Towa City JP 143-637”

                “…That’s an apartment complex on the west side.”

                “I did tell you that detail earlier, but correct. The network and power bank in that district is rather susceptible to simple interference. The region has been mostly secured by the Future Foundation, yet at the same time, there have been just enough reports in the area recently to trigger a low threat reconnaissance review by someone the organization trusts greatly.”

                “You put them both in danger just for sick amusement?!”

                “There is no danger.”

                “You just said—”

                “Every despair crime report from the west district has been fabricated and sent in from your laptop here on Jabberwock island. Of course, I changed the IP location stamps on them so they trace back to various households in the city instead. And the Monokuma AI installed to keep them there? It’s a gutted shell of the original with no authorization coding. The only traits which remain are its network jamming capability and tiresome personality. Danger? Nonexistent. There’s no point in trying to go there. They’ll return in a few hours.”

                “No authorization…How are you keeping them there?”

                “Psychological trap.” Swirling his wrist slightly to check for nerve damage before wrapping his tie around it in a makeshift compression bandage, Izuru glanced at Hajime nonchalantly. “After being told attempting to remove the metal bracelets on their wrists would be a fatal mistake, Makoto would never attempt it. Especially taking into account past experiences. And while Nagito might normally try it, considering his current company, he’s likely on his best behavior.”

                “You’re telling me you designed and casted metal death bracelets just for a couple hours of mental manipulation?!”

                “While you normally would be correct that there were easier ways, modifying some bracelets I bought at a rave a couple years ago to resemble those used in the Future Foundation killing game was a simple solution. They’re harmless, a bluff if you will.”

                Hajime nearly choked. “Y-You’ve been to a rave?!”

                “Yes, Towa City was bustling with drug-laced ‘Armageddon parties’ during the height of despair. Naturally I was curious; however, it quickly became boring. Hajime…Is that really the important detail?”

                “N-No…I just…” Pulling himself back together, Hajime groaned against the pounding in his head which was really not helping the situation at all. He already had a hard enough time following Izuru’s thought process on a good day. “Their luck doesn’t work like that you know…If they aren’t in any actual danger, it won’t trigger anything dramatic.”

                “I’m aware.”

                “Then…”

                “You did cut off my earlier explanation. We may not be Laplace’s Demon, but something as boring as luck will always be predictable no matter how many variables are altered. Triggering their luck is not the goal. Which is why the mental impression of danger will suffice. Do you understand yet?” Raising cold red eyes to look into warm olive ones once more, Izuru searched for signs of an epiphany. _Almost there._

                “When. When did you do this?”

                “We brought the AI component to Towa City on our scheduled visit four months ago.”

                “Four months ago?!”

                Before Hajime’s mind could generate the question ‘ _How long have you been planning this?_ ’ Izuru was already answering it. “Ever since the second day of the month, four months ago.”

                _Why?_ Just as the brunette was about to open his mouth and ask (perhaps for the sixth time that day), his eyes snagged upon Izuru’s. Those crimson irises were making deliberate eye contact, and they looked somewhat different from their usual bored state—slightly sharper, more pointed. _Izuru…Izuru was waiting for him to figure it out himself._

                Biting his lip, Hajime started combing over details, the Ultimate Analyst talent they shared subconsciously kick starting somewhere in the background.

                The second day of the month. That was an important detail. What events were on the second day of the month? Typically that day was quite busy: status update reports to the mainland were due and needed to be emailed over by 7:00 a.m., natural disaster evacuation supplies and plans needed a review every other month, electricity circuits attached to the main power grid benefited from a checkup which he usually completed with Kazuichi (not that it really needed to be checked every month, but hanging out with Kazuichi was fun), adjusting Nagito's medications usually took a few hours, ordering rations and other essential supplies after the tedious process of taking inventory—

                That was it wasn’t it? Several talents screamed something about the importance of reviewing every possibility before coming to a conclusion. Hajime shoved the voices to the back of his head.

                “Nagito…He’s not taking them is he?”

                The corner of Izuru’s mouth twitched the slightest bit with amusement. “He thinks you don’t know.”

                “What does he think I am? Dense? He’s an awful liar. Does he really think I believe him when he says he was taking a nap at the bottom of the stairs? When he obviously passed out while walking?”

                “To his credit, you did _just_ pull that conclusion out of your subconscious…You believed him the first six times he used that excuse…And you do fall for about 91% of his lies on average.”

                “W-Why are you keeping track of that?!” Sputtering softly, he turned to Izuru with a searching stare. “Do you think this whole thing will even help?”

                “I could make a prediction, but our Ultimate Clairvoyant talent is only accurate 30% of the time last I checked…”

                "You're apologizing to Makoto tomorrow."

                "No."

                "Izuru……"

                "Fine. I consent to _considering_ it."

                Realizing that was probably the best he was going to get out of Izuru, Hajime took a deep breath and let his thoughts drift back to a certain white-haired disaster. “He’s a fucking idiot…”

                “I agree. That's objectively true. …He’s not the only one.”

                “I could say the same thing.” Hajime groaned, rubbing at the bridge of his nose. “Please…just promise me you won’t do anything stupid like this again without telling me first.”

                “It would be an ineffective use of time for me to make empty promises.”

                “Izuru!” Hajime threw his hands up in exasperation. “I can’t believe you! If I hadn’t caught your slip up about the AI, were you just going to leave me in the dark about this whole thing?! And you’d do it again—”

_Wait. No. That was wrong._

                Izuru never ‘slipped up’…Making a mistake that large and obvious was something he never did. So…So what did that mean?

                It was intentional.

                Oh.

                OH. This whole conversation? Planned from the get go. Of course it was…

                His frustration slipped away as fast as it had come on, and it was all Hajime could do to resist facepalming at his own density. “Izuru…Thank you for telling me.”

                With no response, no visual or auditory indications of thought, Izuru simply closed his eyes and settled back down on the ground in a slightly slouched sitting position to lean back against the wall once more.

                “Are you…Are you going back to sleep?”

                “Is anyone in need of me at the moment?”

                “Well no…It’s just that…” Dropping to sit cross legged next to Izuru, Hajime exhaled softly. “You’ve been sleeping a lot recently…”

                That was an understatement if there ever was one. And if the silence which hung between them was any indication, they both knew it.

                Although at first they had coexisted extremely well during reconstruction and the various projects which needed to be done to make the island inhabitable for so many students, as time passed, Izuru started becoming more and more dormant—retreating into the mind space and giving Hajime complete control of the body to the point where Hajime had to do a cognitive dive any time he needed Izuru’s help or wanted to talk. At those times, he’d appear in their shared mental plane to find the raven haired boy sitting against the wall with closed eyes, one leg propped up and an arm draped over it in an almost signature position. It never took much to rouse him, stepping anywhere in a five foot radius was usually enough, but the mere fact that Izuru hardly ever surfaced anymore without some extreme motive such as the one from earlier was…worrisome.

                Biting his bottom lip, Hajime fiddled slightly with the cowlick of hair on the top of his head. That was a recently developed habit—a rather tiresome one Izuru hoped the brunette would drop as soon as the recent project deadline elapsed.

                Crimson eyes slowly slid open. "Time passes the same, regardless of what I am doing."

                “People aren’t built to sleep so much.”

 

                _“Final subject of the Hope Cultivation Plan, from this day on, your name is to be Izuru Kamakura. Please carry yourself in a way which befits it. It is a name shared with—”_

_“A name shared with the founder of Hope’s Peak Academy: Izuru Kamakura. Izuru meaning ‘out of the current’ and Kamakura meaning ‘a seat for gods.’”_

_It was an empty name. A cold name._

_“…Subject is already displaying acceptable levels of cognition mere hours after awakening. The next phase testing should commence as soon as possible.” The notes being jotted down on a notepad were simultaneously murmured aloud filling the empty space with jumbled syllables and pen scratching. The researcher turned to address another man in a lab coat. “Alright, I’ll prepare the mental simulation room. Get it dressed and cleaned up. Treat it with caution but don’t let your guard down; it is the embodiment of hope after all. You know what it’s capable of.”_

_He didn’t speak as another scientist and several armed security guards led him out of the room. Talentless, boring bastards like them didn’t deserve a single word._

 

                “Then it should be fine.”

                “What are you—…………Izuru.” There were so many possibilities for what those words could’ve referred to, but then, all of a sudden there weren’t. Hajime didn’t know if it was because of one of the talents they now shared or his own logical process, and it didn’t matter. Out of so many ideas, Izuru was only referring to one.

                Heavy cobwebs of silence strung themselves through the air, and before any words could attempt to slice through the thick, dust laden threads, red eyes slid closed once more. Sleep was as easily triggered as a few carefully strung together thoughts. Who knew the Ultimate Magician’s talent could be so useful for self-hypnotization? Izuru. That’s who.

                Darkness folded in like sheets of smooth origami paper, creasing down to cover the light, and then there was nothing. A deserted nothingness which harshly contrasted from the usual constant, lightning quick stream of consciousness which only flashed louder at every sight and sound. The change was always a little disconcerting but never caused a moment of hesitation the next time around.

                It was better when he was asleep anyways.

 

                Izuru instinctively blinked awake only mere moments later, and before he could react to the presence sliding closer, warm arms were wrapping around his. Though it was a little awkward with their folded legs partially separating them, Hajime closed the space as much as possible, scooting in close enough to press their chests together and squeeze lightly toned arms around the previously sleeping boy.

                Even with his arms trapped in the embrace, Izuru could’ve easily extracted himself in a multitude of ways, breaking the contact as effortlessly as a single breath could blow out a lit match—he didn’t. Those determined green eyes were so close that Hajime’s breath tickled his face, and they only got larger as the brunette tipped his head closer until the matching lines of scars on their foreheads touched.

                Long strands of raven hair mostly separated them, but in the small sections where skin met skin, warmth seemed to ignite, sending tingling sparks crackling between them.

                “No. That’s wrong.”

                Those firmly soft words could only possibly refer to one thing…But somehow, it almost felt as if they countered both.

                The instant the last syllable passed Hajime’s lips, a single tremor crashed over Izuru’s entire body dissolving away any remaining resistance from both muscles and mind. Without a word, he dropped his head limply into Hajime’s shoulder, shutting his eyes as his forehead pressed into cotton fabric.

                Hajime let out a soft noise of surprise, but he didn’t let go. For that, Izuru was glad.

                Physical touch was something comforting by default, and hugging in particular triggered the release of oxytocin into the body from the pituitary gland, essentially forcing the mind into a more relaxed state. That was the most shallow of basic knowledge, he didn’t even need to be the Ultimate Psychologist, Ultimate Scientist, Ultimate Doctor, Ultimate Pharmacologist, etc. to understand. It was logical.

                What wasn’t logical was how the racing array of thoughts on recent endorphin studies (on mice and other rodent species) running through his head seemed to spontaneously mute itself in favor of the sounds of Hajime’s breathing. No _…_ That wasn’t quite right. If he focused, he could still hear the incessant stream of thought somewhere in the back of his mind _…_ They were just muffled by quiet, calm inhales and exhales. Izuru allowed his focus to dissipate.

                It wasn’t the numbing, frigid nothingness which sleep induced, but rather, a warm tingling which slowly spread down to his fingertips from points of contact, filling up both body and mind with warmth. Warmth which threatened to overwhelm, leaving no room for thought.

                It was almost better than sleeping. That was the objective conclusion.

                He’d prefer this any day. That was the subjective conclusion.

                Hajime wasn’t the greatest at physical comfort—his slightly stiff and hesitant movements before initiating the contact betraying an underlying tinge of uncertainty, and his hands resting on Izuru’s back adjusting themselves the tiniest bit every so often as if he didn’t quite know what to do with them. Strands of dark hair tickled his neck, somehow resulting in Hajime sneezing at one point before removing a hand, breaking contact, to brush them out of the way. Izuru decided that he could probably give Hajime some pointers. He didn’t because just as soon as it left, Hajime’s other arm wrapped back around his body completing the circle of warmth once more.

                They sat there together as time slowed, oozing in a slow trickle like melted honey into the bottom of some ornate hourglass. Burying his nose in toasty fabric, Izuru inhaled softly, breathing in Hajime’s scent—he smelled a little of slightly musky deodorant and a little of sun-soaked bedding. It was a mellow, common scent, but it pulled apart the remaining tension in stiff shoulders as quickly as a scout would release a manger hitch.

                Radiating warmth transferred between them before spreading outwards in delicate tendrils of rich green vines. Velvety leaves unfurled leisurely, as if stretching after a long slumber, and slowly, the ground around them blanketed itself in a graceful tapestry of verdant foliage.

_Hinata…‘A place where the sun shines.’_

                “It’s a name we share.”

                Izuru didn’t shift or give any indication that he was listening at all. Perhaps any other person would have stopped talking, but it was almost as if Hajime could hear the tiniest, utterly imperceptible, hitch in Izuru’s heartbeat as the raven haired boy realized he’d let the wall around his thoughts drop for the fraction of a second, because Hajime kept speaking.

                “’Hajime Hinata’ is the name we agreed upon right? For the body? To make things easier for everyone else? So…That means we share it.”

                Neither boy had moved, and Izuru could feel the vibrations of speech rumbling through Hajime’s throat and chest. They were deep and pleasant. So was Hajime’s voice. With its average resonance, occasional hesitant sputtering, sporadic bursts of anger, and irregularities in emotion, his voice was so much warmer than _hers_.

                Her voice was ice. Ice and simultaneously the ashes swirling on a hot breeze rippling off a burning building in near visible waves of heat. He supposed a normal human would feel frigid fear or ecstatic, maddening passion at the sound, but he had only felt curiosity. Intrigue.

                She had used him. Or rather…He had used her. And she knew he would.

                She’d offered him a parasite upon a ceramic plate (it hadn’t been silver, it didn’t need to be), holding it up with an innocent smile. He took it.

                What he’d done for that writhing worm of a question she’d gifted him, he didn’t regret. Even now there was no remorse. No guilt for his actions in that chaotic wasteland of a city. No penance for his interference in the rehabilitation simulation of the 77th class.

                And if he had the chance…

                He wouldn’t do it again.

                That conclusion was illogical, but no matter how many times he ran through the scenario there was no other truth.

 

When Izuru finally responded, he didn't bother opening his mouth _…Hajime don’t you have places to be?_

                “Huh? Well I did promise Ibuki I’d help her ‘test the sound system’ in the newly restored control tower later today.”

_So you guys intend to destroy the entire speaker network for the fourth time? I feel as if Kazuichi may not be pleased if his reaction last time was any indication._

                “I-It wasn’t intentional! And it won’t happen again! We’ll be careful, I promise!”

                Almost as if on cue, a bright cheery voice sounded through the space—slightly muffled by its descent through cognitive layers, but no less energetic from its usual resonance. “Hajime! Ibuki’s ready and rearing to go! Yoooohoooo Haaaaajime? Are ya doing that weird half-asleep thing again?”

                “Wh-Wha?” Stammering in surprise, Hajime released the hug in order to check his watch—promptly faltering at the displayed time. “How is it already 8:30?”

                _Did you forget that time passes differently in this space?_ Lifting his head off Hajime’s shoulder, Izuru blinked slowly before fixing the brunette with a flat stare. _Instead of just passing out randomly on the beach like last time, I trust you at least returned to…our cottage before entering?_

                “O-Of course I did! _…_ Probably.”

                “HAAAJJIIMMEEEE!”

                Exhaling imperceptibly, Izuru stood up, tilting his head slightly toward the ceiling in a nonverbal gesture. _If we keep her waiting for too long, there is a 87.5% chance she’ll kick down the door again._

                “You’re coming?” Olive eyes widened almost owlishly with shock.

                “She did call both of us, did she not?” His voice was edged with its usual flat delivery and a touch of dry amusement (it also possibly might have been a little bit softer, but maybe that was just Hajime’s imagination).

                “Y-Yeah! Of course!” Nose crinkling slightly with happiness as a wide, radiant grin split across his entire face, Hajime leapt up to follow Izuru’s long strides toward the exit.

                Vines shifted as they walked, neatly moving out of the way in order to construct a path for footsteps through delicate landscape weavings. At the end of the trail, Izuru paused to extend his left arm, splaying his fingers through the air in soundless invitation. With a contented hum Hajime slipped his hand into Izuru’s, and together they stepped across the threshold.

                Hundreds of snow white morning glories unfurled soundlessly across the sea of rippling leaves, drifting constellations of light illuminating cognitive space.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -(If you dislocate your wrist go to the hospital bc you probably won't have Ultimate Luck to save you from most likely breaking a bone in the process)  
> -In which Izuru talks in circles, is infuriatingly vague and purposefully misleading, makes ambiguous statements, and has highly questionable morals—but somehow still manages to be a good bean.  
> -Why is this pairing so underrated? I’ve read like basically every fic in the tag, and I’m starving for content. So like, if you ever write anything on these two, comment or something and I’ll defo go read it!
> 
>  
> 
> -Real life ain't super peachy rn (haaah understatement of the fucking year). So, I just want to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for all your kind comments and words. Even if you don’t say anything, if I touch your heart with my prose, it means more to me than you could ever know. Thank you for being part of a kind and caring community, a blessed refuge for this sparrow of clipped wings.


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